A Purpose to Fulfill
by AsakuraGirl09
Summary: Kagome's gone home to cram for high school entrance exams, and Inuyasha's having disturbing dreams. But has Naraku really learned to jump the time barrier between worlds? Kagome may not be as safe as she thinks she is...2 new chap up for your enjoyment!
1. Strange Dreams

_It should say something that I started this story on my break at work sometime around 3:00am, and since then it's taken on a whole life of its own. I started writing out of my extreme dissatisfaction at how the series was left so open ended (being the anime nerd that I am, I have watched all released episodes despite the sometimes ridiculously terrible subtitling. Let's just say, you have to love the series on a pretty serious level to make it through some of those DVD's...), so I decided to write how I think it should end…with a few liberties here and there. I still have a faint hope that the series will wrap up perfectlywith the last movie that I haven't seen yet, but we'll see. Until then, this will have to be my outlet._

_I wish I could say that I thought of these characters on my own, but I didn't. They're all owned and licensed beyond what I can legitimately pay to use them. However, Kanota is mine, even though he doesn't show up for a few chapters. Please don't use him without permission._

A Purpose to Fulfill

Darkness. An overwhelming darkness that served to confuse all senses, even those well beyond human standards. It swirled around him, ready to choke out his very soul if he let down his guard. Unnatural. Evil. But disturbingly familiar.

It was how the dream always started.

He was alone, waiting, knowing that he must be ready. His primal instincts sensed the danger, yet failed to recognize the source. And, as always, there was a feeling that there was a purpose for him to be here. That he wasn't just wandering blindly in the dark without reason. Unconsciously his hand slid to the sheath of his sword, more of a position of comfort than a preparation for use. He slowly made his way forward.

The noises began to sound, just as they always did. A rustle here, a soft call there. He knew they were coming, knew that nothing would appear. Still, his body reacted, sword unsheathed and ready to attack the unknown enemy. He spun towards the direction of the noise, straining his pointed ears to determine the distance, waiting for the ambush that would never come. The scenario all seemed so familiar, playing out like a story he had heard all his life.

Why couldn't he remember what happened next?

Frustrated, he decided to try to provoke the situation into one he was more comfortable with. At the sound of a nearby rustle, he shot off a warning with a resounding "Kaze no Kizu" that exploded with massive glory but no result, adding to his frustration. The sliver of patience that always teetered in such delicate balance within him gave way.

"Who's out there! Show yourself you coward!"

The swirling mist gave a chill but silent response, infuriating him all the more. In frustration, he started running blindly, not caring where he was or which direction he went so long as he was doing something. But no matter which way he went it seemed as if he was going nowhere. As if the world was shifting around him as he moved.

He was trapped.

This was new.

"What do you want from me!" he shouted to no one in particular.

Expecting no answer, he sat cross-legged on the ground, his sword stuck down into the soft soil next to him, a thin wisp of decaying steel. Admittedly, figuring out these puzzles was not his strong point. His role was more along the lines of the resident badass, more sword and claws first, questions later. It had always worked in the past. He had grown too dependant on the others since he had started traveling with them. That needed to change.

Except for when it came to locating the jewel shards. For that, he discovered, teamwork provided a significant advantage. It was still a concept he struggled with.

"What is your purpose?"

The voice was barely a whisper, but his keen ears picked it up right away. Instantly, he was on his feet, sword in hand, poised for attack. "Who are you?" he demanded. "What the hell do you want?"

"What is your purpose?" it repeated without acknowledgement of his demands.

"My purpose is to kick your sorry excuse for an ass once I find you!" His ears tweaked, trying to make out a direction of the sound, but the mist surrounding him served as a barrier, knocking the sound around so it seemed to come from all directions. He concentrated.

"You seek the shards of the Shikon No Tama."

His lips curled up to reveal a set of perfect white fangs. "Heh. Isn't everyone these days?"

"What is your purpose?" the whisper repeated.

"Repetitive, aren't you," he smiled. "But you're getting awfully nosey!" Without much more than a thought the sword had once again grown to more than double its original size and shape, and a gigantic tornado blast of wind was ripping through the heavy mist, parting it no more than momentarily. Before he could lower his sword, the thick fog was already swirling around him to fill in the gap. He growled.

"Damn it, this mist is messing with my head. I can't focus!"

Keeping his stance, he weighed his options. Without knowing his enemy, he was clearly at the disadvantage, not to mention that he was essentially blind. The sword's power didn't seem to be helpful, and no backup was coming. His only options were to retreat and find a more adventitious position, or to hold his ground and hope he was powerful enough to hold off any surprise attacks from this mystery enemy. Neither option was particularly appealing.

God, he wanted to hurt something.

"So why do you care if I'm looking for the jewel shards?" he shot out. "You think you're going to take them from me? You're in for a bit of a surprise."

"The Shikon no Tama cannot be completed until its priestess is awakened by her guardian. Only then will the balance between the human and demon realm be restored."

He smirked. "Yeah? So what's that got to do with me?"

The air around him began to swirl, carrying the mist with it so that the entire world seemed to be reforming itself. He watched as the intangible air began to take shape, quickly becoming a miasma of screeching demons in every direction. "Heh, that's more like it," he thought, releasing another wave of wind from his sword. The hoard dissipated instantly, leaving nothing but swirling wisps of fog behind, but in a blink there were more to replace the fallen. He wasn't phased. Another blast of wind erupted to match the onslaught, then another, then another. The mist was unrelenting. As a small trickle of sweat fell into his eye, he began to wonder how long he would have to endure this nuisance.

"You seem to have mastered your father's sword quickly," the whisper seemed to be right in his ear. "It should come useful with the dangers ahead."

He spun in the direction of the voice as the threat around his suddenly vanished until nothing but the fog remained. "What do you know about my father's sword?" he growled.

"Your father was well aware of the importance of the Shikon. After all, he too was destined to guard the Shikon's priestess in his time."

This caught him off guard for a moment, and he froze despite his instincts. Had his father died guarding the Shikon jewel? He knew from Myoga that he had died while fighting the demon Ryuukossei, but the details were somewhat hazy beyond that. He had never heard anything about this before. The only priestess that he had ever known was…

A gust of wind brought his attention back to the present as it tickled his ear. "The Tetsusaiga was destined to you for a reason."

He spun in the direction of the voice as his body reacted to the potential threat once again. "What, you think I should be this so-called guardian for some priestess? We have a hard enough time keeping ourselves out of trouble without having to keep track of another girl," he scoffed.

"Sometimes the roles our lives take have been preordained well before our existence for reasons we cannot comprehend. It is only when we embrace these roles that our destiny becomes complete and our lives fulfilled."

"Save the cryptic bullshit," he shot back. "Besides, the way you're talking, it sounds like we have to find this priestess in order to complete the jewel anyways. I don't suppose you'll actually be useful and give me some clue as to where this priestess might be?"

"What is your purpose?" was the only reply.

"Damn it, I should have known you'd be no help," he muttered, but as he finally lowered his sword he noticed the mist starting to part in front of him and a pinkish-red glow in the distance. He recognized it instantly. The Shikon. He took off towards it, but despite his effort, the fog felt like sludge, impeding his every movement. The harder he struggled, the more it resisted. Claws had no effect. It was in every sense a fruitless battle.

"What is your purpose?" the voice seemed to be fading in the distance.

He looked up and instantly froze. In the distance surrounded by the Shikon's glow was a painfully familiar set of red and white robes. Long black hair flowed down her back held loosely by a think white ribbon just below the base of her neck. One hand held the completed jewel out in front of her for a moment, then brought it close to her heart so only the glow could be seen.

"Kikiyo?" he whispered, his stomach dropping to somewhere around his knees.

But the girl never turned, never acknowledged the presence of the other. Slowly, the mist swirled around her as she clutched the jewel to her. As it crept closer, again the monstrous forms took shape, quickly encircling her completely. But the glow of the jewel kept them back momentarily, and she seemed to be remaining watchful for their signs of attack. He strained to see what was happening as he struggled against his mystical restraint, but never was able to make any headway to where the demons sat waiting.

"Kikiyo!" he screamed out again, but still no reaction from the other.

Then, as if she sensed their final attack, the jewel moved from her hand and absorbed into her chest, enlightening her body with its glow just as the hoard broke through. Enraged that the Shikon was beyond their reach, the demons cried out in fury, closing in the circle around the priestess. First one snake-like creature attacked, then a spider, then a centipede, and so on until all that was visible was the radiating glow through the thick fog.

"Kikiyo! No!" he screamed, fighting with all his strength to get to where she stood. But despite his struggles, his body would not move. Fighting back overwhelming fury and grief, he watched as the spawn furiously ravaged the spot where the young woman had stood until even the light that had radiated so brightly faded into the dullness of the fog. As soon as the glow was extinguished, the demons instantly disappeared, once again becoming part of the mist that surrounded him. Instantly his bonds were released, and he rushed to where his former love had stood.

"Kikiyo…" he whispered, falling to his knees. "What am I supposed to do?"

But if the priestess heard him, there was no answer from her, only a slight wind that brushed through his hair and tickled his long ears. Faintly the voice registered in his mind, almost like an afterthought, redirecting his focus back to its prior mission.

"What is your purpose…what is your destiny…"

Inuyasha awoke in a cold sweat to the feel of the wind in his face and nearly fell off the tree branch where he was perched for the night. Quickly he scanned the area for any disturbances and found nothing obvious. Below, the fire had died down to warm red coals that smoldered and danced as they consumed the last bits of wood from the night. Situated around it were his four traveling companions. Sango rested against the giant form of her demon cat Kilala, nestled between its body and fluffy tail which curled around her protectively. The monk, Miroku, leaned against a tree close to the fire, staff in hand, looking almost meditative in his slumber. Kagome chose a spot slightly away from the other two; bundled tightly in that bedding that she constantly hauled around, a sleeping bag, she called it. Only her head remained visible at the top, her expression peaceful as she lay dreaming. The little fox demon, Shippou, as usual lay nestled up next to her under the warmth of the blankets, mouth wide open as he snored softly.

The half demon leaned back against the trunk of the tree, the details of his dream rushing back with vivid clarity. There was no doubt that this was not something he could just ignore. Somehow he had been chosen for this purpose, the guardian of the Shikon's priestess. Had circumstances been different, he might have easily fallen into such a role. After all, hadn't they been battling Naraku for close to a year now, preventing him in their own small way from collecting all the jewel shards and using the Shikon for his own quest for power? But the voice had said that the jewel couldn't be completed until the priestess was awakened. Six months ago that task might not have been so daunting.

Because Kikiyo was dead.

She had to be, after all that had happened. There had been no sign of her in months, and with the state she had last been in...

Inuyasha sat for a long time, staring at his hands. "Kikiyo," he whispered, "twice I couldn't save you. How in the world am I supposed to protect you now?"


	2. Going Home

Miroku sat rubbing his chin as he watched his companion furiously tapping her fingers on the strange device. The hundreds of questions had started when she had pulled the flat box out of her wonderful bag of goodies and unfolded it to reveal colorful pictures and tinkling sounds that were unlike anything he had ever seen in all his years of travel. Then she had started punching the small characters on the other half of the thing with a practiced flare, and with each soft tap that character would be transferred to the plate in front of her. As many times as she had denied it, Miroku was convinced there had to be some sort of strange futuristic sorcery involved. Either way, he was fascinated.

"Kagome, what did you say this thing was called again?"

"It's a laptop. My mom gave it to me for my birthday to help me with my homework."

"And tell me again what you're doing with it right now?"

"I have a report due in my Western Civilization class, and since we seem to have a little downtime lately, I thought I might try to get some of it done."

"I see. And this…laptop…" He pondered this word and its ties with the future. "This laptop is to help you write without ink and paper?" Miroku strained his neck to get a closer look at the lines of words on the screen.

"Well, yes, for the most part, but there's a bunch more you can do with it too. Like, see, you can play games!" With a quick wave of her fingers on a small square pad the image suddenly changed from words to a top view of a pile of mahjong tiles. With furious finger waving and tapping, the tiles began changing color and disappearing as Miroku's eyes grew larger. As Kagome grew more intent on depleting the stack in front of her, he grew more and more mesmerized, leaning closer and closer over her back shoulder until-

"EEK! Miroku!"

Slap!

Furious, Kagome turned from her game to fume at the monk sprawled out on the ground with a distinct red mark on his left cheek. "I shouldn't be so surprised that you really have other things on your perverted mind."

"Really Kagome, it was an honest mistake! I was trying to get a closer look and my hand just slipped…"

From across the field, Sango looked up from where she was cleaning her weapon and sighed. "Kagome," she called out sweetly, "are you having problems concentrating with certain lecherous monks constantly hovering around? I'd be more than happy to come help you eliminate the problem."

A low moan arose from the ground. "No no, that won't be necessary, really…"

Sango sighed again and returned her focus to the large boomerang weapon that she was cleaning. These periods of downtime while Inuyasha was off on his current obsessive task were starting to grate a bit on her nerves. Even Naraku was particularly quiet these days since Inuyasha had learned Tetsusaiga's latest attack. After the group had easily upset his plans these past five times, likely he was hidden away somewhere regaining his strength and plotting some insidious plan to get his revenge on the hanyou. Unfortunately they had no way of knowing where he was. Their tool had been stolen. There was nothing they could do but wait for a sign.

She balled her fists. Part of her wished that this could all be over, that they could all just go on with their lives and not have to fight anymore. But her mind instantly clenched hold of the face of her brother, and she knew that she had to keep going. Unconsciously her mind pulled forward the images of the atrocities that her brother had been forced by Naraku to do, bringing the bile up from her stomach to her throat. She would never forgive Naraku for what he had done to her family, especially Kohaku.

A rustle in the grass from behind her brought her attention back to the present, and with a seamless movement her dagger moved from its sheath to the heart of the attacking demon. With a breath of relief she returned her weapon and finished off the squirming rodent demon permanently. These attacks were becoming more frequent these past few weeks. Demons of all shapes and sizes were rising up and attacking for no apparent reason. Never in all her years in the demon slayer village had she seen such a wave of attacks. Something was wrong, like the world was out of balance, and she could see its effects on all of them.

Especially Kagome and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha had been extremely secluded lately, often heading off on his own for long spans of the day without telling anyone when he came or went. Although this was somewhat within his personality, what was different these days was his behavior when he was spending time with the group. His normally haughty and violent attitude had been majorly subdued, and he seemed extremely distracted when he wasn't focused on a direct task. That, and he'd been sleeping a great deal more than he normally did. Almost every night either she or Miroku had noticed him falling asleep for a short period of time where nothing could seem to rouse him. At one instance there had been a small demon attack that he had slept right through, something she had never seen him do before. When he did wake from these bouts of sleep, he was usually visibly upset and physically exhausted, yet he never said a word about what was wrong, even to Kagome.

Kagome at first had been extremely concerned about this change in Inuyasha's character, as was typical of her nurturing personality. For days when he was with them she would try to get him to tell her what was upsetting him. Usually her constant pestering would get him irritated and flustered, but for some reason this time he had responded with a cold silence or by simply disappearing for the remainder of the day. Every time he was gone, Kagome fell into a retrospective depression, often spending hours by herself away from the rest of them. This, of course, would get Shippou upset because Inuyasha was upsetting Kagome, and he would usually pester Miroku or her to do something about it. But despite all their best efforts, she would usually just smile sadly and thank them politely, but return to her silence. Sango frowned. Why couldn't Inuyasha see how his behavior was upsetting her? Even Miroku had somewhat figured out his transgressions after all this time, and Inuyasha usually was fairly sensitive to Kagome's moods.

Finally satisfied with her work, Sango stood up and crossed the meadow to where Kagome was frantically eyeing the screen for another match of tiles. "Ah, here we go!" she proclaimed with a tap of fingers, only to be rewarded with a message that there were no other possible matches. Sighing heavily she folded down the screen and put it to the side. "Oh well, I should have been studying anyways."

"Kagome, you've really been focused on your books lately. Usually they just remain in your backpack while you're here," Sango teased with a smile, trying to keep Kagome's mind off of Inuyasha's current absence.

"Hey, I do study!" she protested with a stomp. "I can't help it if demon attacks seem to constantly get in the way."

"She does have a point," Miroku chimed in, picking himself up off the ground in time to swat away a small cockroach demon with his staff. "But you have been particularly intent on your school work this past week. I might even go so far as to say that you've fallen asleep with a book across your face for the past three nights."

Kagome's cheeks blazed a bright pink. "I have not…have I?" she stammered meekly.

Two heads bobbed up and down in unison.

"How embarrassing."

"And you never have time to play with me anymore," piped in a drowsy Shippou as he stretched and rubbed his eyes where he sat in the tall grass, obviously waking up to join in the conversation.

"I'm sorry Shippou, it's just…well…" Kagome paused to the sight of three sets of eyes staring intently, waiting for her explanation for her current behavior. She sighed. This particular topic had been weighing heavy on her mind for a while now.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Shippou cried, crawling into her lap.

"Well, you see…there's a very important test coming up…"

"But you always have tests," Shippou replied as if that cleared up the entire situation.

"Yeah, but not like this test. Our high school entrance exams are coming up,

and-"

"But Kagome," whined the fox demon, "you don't need school, you've got us!"

"Shippou, be quiet!" Miroku warned with a glare. "But he does raise a point. Your previous tests have not seemed to raise so much concern."

"I know, but this is different. This one determines my eligibility for the high schools I'll be able to apply for, and then which college, and then…" she trailed off.

"So the better you do now, the more opportunity you get later," Miroku finished.

"Exactly." Kagome's smile quickly faded. "I've missed a lot of school this year…"

Miroku set his staff firmly on the ground in front of him. "So that's that. What do we need to do to help you prepare?"

"Of course," Shippou snapped his fingers and scampered to where one of Kagome's books lay in the grass. "We can help you study!" he proclaimed as he opened the cover and began to stare blankly at the pages inside.

"That's my English book Shippou. I'm not sure if that language even exists yet." She smiled at the little fox demon and his willingness to do anything for her. All her new friends from the Feudal Era would do the same, and she for them. It made it difficult to remember that her time really was in Present Day Tokyo, and at some point her time here would be over. "Actually guys, I think maybe this isn't the best place for me to be trying to study."

"Are you thinking you might need to go home for a while?" Sango asked.

Well…" Here was where the choice became difficult. "The last time I was home, my mother and I were talking about school and my future and my…ahem…current grades…" The pink in her cheeks quickly resurfaced. "Well, anyways, she thought it might be a good idea if I enrolled in a cram school to get ready for the test."

"What's a cram school?" Shippou asked with growing concern.

"It's like extra school," Kagome replied with a grimace. "But they give a high intensity review of all the stuff we've learned up to this point."

"It sounds like a good idea," Miroku observed with a calm nod. "So what's the problem?"

"Well, they're pretty strict on attendance, so I couldn't constantly be making up illness so I could skip class."

"Okay, so you go home for a few days to finish this class. I don't think that's ever been a problem," the monk smiled reassuringly.

"Well, it'd be more like every day after school…"

The other three glanced at each other worriedly.

"For three months," Kagome finished, head hung low.

"Three months!" Shippou screeched. You can't be gone every day for three months! Whatdya need stupid high school for anyways!"

Kagome was currently inclined to agree, but she hugged Shippou to her chest as he sniffled. "I wish I knew what was going to happen when the sacred jewel is back together, but it's more than likely that I'll have to go back to my time permanently since it was the jewel that brought me here in the first place."

"So you want to make sure that you don't end up behind," Miroku agreed. Behind him, Sango nodded thoughtfully.

Shippou was not so easily convinced and sat sniffling loudly in Kagome's lap. "But Kagome, three whole months…"

"Don't worry," she reassured him, hugging him close to provide just as much comfort to herself as to him. "I'll be able to arrange some visits on weekends maybe, and I'll be back when I'm done."

"But it won't be the same without you!" Shippou straightened up, trying to put on a brave front. "Inuyasha will probably be in a terrible mood without you here."

"Not that he's in any kind of great mood with me here either," Kagome thought darkly. Still, she hadn't confessed her plans to him either yet, mostly due to his current cross attitude. Some of their more mundane arguments had been turned into some fairly sizable battles. The subject of her spending long periods in her own time were usually the cause of some major arguments on the best of days. Approaching the subject now with Inuyasha was like signing her own death papers. She prayed her execution would be swift and painless- a swift jab with his claws or a swipe with the Tetsusaiga.

It would be better than having to endure cram school.

"I'll let Inuyasha know when he comes back," she informed them, hoping that they'd pick up on the hint to steer clear of him for a while afterwards. "Then I'll probably leave for home pretty soon after that. I think it'll be best that way." After all, what had to be done had to be done.

As much as she wished it could be, she couldn't honestly believe that her future rested solely in the past.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Inuyasha's return was not a loud interruption of the group's current proceedings, but rather a quiet slip back into its folds. He perched himself on a low branch of a tree on the edge of town and watched as life scurried by, trying to complete the final chores of the evening before the last of the light disappeared and they settled in for the night. These days it was too dangerous to be out past dark with all the demon activity, even in a village protected by a priestess- if Kaete was still calling herself one these days. Even Shippou and Miroku had wandered by on some errand without so much as a glance toward him. Only Kagome had acknowledged his return, almost immediately, as if she had sensed him somehow. She had glanced up at him and caught his eye, smiling briefly to welcome him back. It had looked as if something troubling was on her mind. She wasn't alone.

The dreams were becoming more frequent, disturbingly so. Not only were they becoming a nightly occurrence, but now even at random times during the day he was being struck with narcoleptic fits that involved lectures about his destiny. At times it was just the voices urging him to seek out the jewel and its priestess. Other times he would be forced to witness the familiar red and white robes and black hair be consumed along with the jewel in some horrific way. No matter how he called, she never turned, never seemed to hear his cries. On those times he would return to reality sweating and shaking, sometimes crying out in frustration with his inability to intervene. If nothing else, he at least accepted the fact that he was supposed to take these dreams as a warning.

The jewel was going to be completed soon, and Naraku had far too many shards for him to be happy about that.

But the dreams were always clear about one detail- the process couldn't be completed without the priestess. He wondered if Naraku was aware of that part of the puzzle. If not, for the moment they had a slight advantage, but they had to move quickly. Once they found Kikiyo and had her in a safe place he would worry about getting the rest of the jewel back and putting the last of the pieces back together.

He wondered what the others would say about this sudden shift of strategy, going off a dream, depending on a woman who had not only betrayed them in the past but also shifted sides to suit her fancy it seemed. Her entire existence relied on being a parasite of souls, the majority being stolen from Kagome both at her initial revival and recently at the sacred waterfall. Since then it seemed that the reincarnated priestess held a seething hatred specifically towards her, despite Kagome's efforts to remain gracious towards her adversary. Still, despite being completely aware of this conflict of interest, there was something within him that just couldn't let Kikiyo go. It was as if she held his heart in complete submission, even after all they had been through. Even though his mind was starting to question…

As the sun slowly sank below the treeline, Inuyasha pondered the best strategy for convincing the others of this new plan of attack. Sango was too straightforward. It would be difficult to convince her to go chasing after a vision, even if it was her that was haunted by them. Miroku definitely shifted more toward the spiritual side and would probably consider his case, but he also was too practical. He would probably want to try to exercise something and then charge him for the effort. Shippou…honestly he could care less what Shippou thought. The little pest would be tagging along with them no matter what they ended up doing. No, he was best off going with Kagome. The history between her and Kikiyo might be treacherous, but Kagome seemed to be much more passive when it came to him and Kikiyo these days. Plus, she carried a lot of influence over the group as a whole. A twang of guilt hit him deep for planning to use her to his advantage after all she had been through with him during their time together, but he brushed it aside as best he could. After all, this plan could potentially be the completion of the jewel, and he was absolutely convinced at this point that this plan hinged on finding Kikiyo before Naraku. Otherwise he was completely insane. Maybe he was a little of both.

His mind made up and focused on the task, Inuyasha leapt down from the branch to a small shriek and thump that brought his focus back to the present immediately. The very person he had meant to seek out now sat wincing on the ground, her backpack flung open with half its contents spilled out around her. Surprised, he jumped back, at first poised to attack until the comprehension of who she was hit him fully. Instantly his body relaxed, but his mind was immediately on high alert. How had he not sensed her coming? He had no recollection of catching her scent or hearing her footsteps on the hard path. Had she truly become so familiar to him that his own senses no longer reacted to her presence?

Kagome was sitting up and brushing off her uniform with a slight look of annoyance that quickly dissipated upon looking at Inuyasha's concerned expression. With a little cough, she started to gather her spilled supplies. "I was wondering if you were ever going to come inside," she said softly.

"Yeah, eventually," he replied, the branded hardened demeanor returning to the surface. "What were you doing sneaking up on me anyways?"

"I wasn't sneaking!" she snapped back in defense. "I walked right up to you…" Her tone softened as her eyes shifted back to her belongings. "You've been very distracted lately."

He shouldn't have been surprised that she was so in tune with his moods. There had been more frequent instances lately that he had become aware of her distress and sadness, even when he was out away from the group for long periods. At times her emotions were a stark shock in his mind, something foreign that set his body on edge. Other times they blended seamlessly with his own, whether the emotions matched or not, adding to the intensity of his mood. The feeling of intimacy was strangely foreign and familiar all at the same time.

"Inuyasha, I need to talk to you about something," she started again, the hesitation clear in her voice.

He raised an eyebrow but didn't speak, curious about her change in behavior. It had been a long time since Kagome had been nervous about anything around him, and her discomfort set him on edge, like something bad was going to happen. Arms crossed, he sat back on his heels and waited.

Finding some strength, Kagome cleared her throat and began. "I've been thinking a lot lately, about our mission…about us." She paused to judge his reaction, but his face was locked in a curious mask. She sighed. "We've been together looking for the jewel shards for a long time, and we've made a ton of progress. I don't want you to think that I'm backing out and I'm not here until the end of it, but…"

Her nervousness and fidgeting were starting to seriously put him on edge, spreading through his body as if it were a contagious disease. The feeling of it was disturbing, and a shiver went through him as if his body was trying to rid himself of it. "What is it Kagome?" he asked with as much control as he could muster without lashing out at her.

"I need to go home," she blurted out finally, then held her breath in anticipation.

"So what's the big deal about that? You're always going home."

"No," she shook her head. "I need to stay there for a while. I'm really behind in school. I have entrance exams before too much longer. If I don't go back and focus for a while, just in case…just in case…"

"What? In case what?" Her grief was stifling.

"In case there's no place for me here once the jewel is back together."

His first thought was to tell her that she was stupid for even thinking that. Of course she'd always have a place with them. But one glance at Kagome's heartbroken face and Inuyasha kept his mouth shut. Had this been the cause of all the emotional turmoil he had been receiving from her lately?

"What do you want to do?" he asked instead.

"I'm supposed to attend cram school after my regular school to help me catch up, but if I go, it's going to mean that I can't come back very often."

"How long?" He could sense her body tense up even more, throwing his entire body into its own slight state of panic, and immediately he knew he wouldn't like the answer.

"Three months, maybe longer depending on if I get caught up or not."

Her level of panic was starting to almost choke him with its weight, and he knew he had to calm her down to experience any relief from it. "Well, you don't need my permission to go," he replied as if it made no difference to him. The emotional grip lessened slightly to his relief.

"Are you sure?" she murmured softly. "What about looking for Naraku and the other jewel shards? And what about the one we have? Will it be okay if I'm gone for so long with it?"

"It'd probably be safer with you anyways, since Naraku can't get through to you. And it's not as if we're totally incapable without you. Geez, you'd think that there were no other ways to track Naraku down." He kept spitting out responses, trying to say anything that would put her at ease so he could breathe again. Desperate, he tried a different approach. "Half the time you're just in the way anyways."

Kagome's eyes narrowed, and Inuyasha felt her subconscious clasp on him release as her annoyance set in. Back into more familiar emotional territory, he relaxed and folded his arms back across his chest. "Although I don't know why you need this school thing. You just always carry those books around and fall asleep when you open them anyways."

The flush in her cheeks was definitely starting to grow. "Inuyasha…" Her tone made it clear just what word was coming next, and he backed down. "Anyways, I'll try to come back on weekends when I can. Shippou made me promise and all, and as long as I'm caught up and back before Monday morning-"

"Ah, Kagome…" Suddenly he understood her fidgety behavior from before. "If you leave, that may be hard."

"What do you mean?"

"Coming back, it might be hard." He noticed the sharp edge of her nervousness start to poke its way back towards him.

"I don't understand. What's going on?"

After suppressing them for so long, the words just started to come out. The dreams, the voices, their constant message of finding the priestess. The bouts of insomnia without warning. His need to get away and process. The whole time Kagome listened intently, eyes widening as she processed the explanation to all her questions these past few weeks. And then he got to the critical point. The fire. The red and white robes. The flash of black hair. He couldn't look at her.

"What does it mean?" she asked, almost too softly to hear.

"That the jewel can't be completed without its priestess. We need to find Kikiyo."

"Kikiyo's alive?" came her small voice after what seemed like an eternity.

All at once Inuyasha felt Kagome's emotions go completely blank, and strangely a part of him felt hollow as well. It was as if a part of him was snatched, a piece that he had grown unconsciously attached to. He looked at Kagome with her eyes downcast, seemingly fighting down some relentless enemy deep in her heart. He prayed she wouldn't cry. He didn't think he could handle it. As awful as this conversation had been so far, clearly there was still more to follow. But then, without moving, Kagome quietly replied, "Do you really believe that's what we need to do?"

He nodded. "Absolutely."

She let out a small laugh. "I guess you're right then. I probably would just get in the way. Maybe my timing is good for once."

"Kagome, I didn't mean-"

"Hey," she smiled, "our job is to find the jewel shards so we can put them back together, right? Well, if we need Kikiyo to do that, then what other choice is there? We have to find her before Naraku does."

As relieved as he was by Kagome's response, something nagged him, and the more uneasy he felt, the more she seemed to smile in an effort to ease the tension. His stomach started to gnaw on itself, and his body seemed restless. Somehow he knew Kagome felt the same way.

"Do you have any idea where she is?" Kagome broke the silence. "I mean, Kikiyo just has a habit of showing up on her own accord. Do you have a ways of locating her?"

Inuyasha hesitated, fully knowing the answer right away. "I don't know," he sighed. "All I know is that she's the key to the Shikon, which explains why Naraku has always been so interested in her."

"Do you think Naraku knows about this?"

"Whether he does or not, we can't take that chance. We have to find her first."

Kagome nodded firmly, her features set in agreement. "I don't know what I can do to help, but if there's anything…"

For the first time since their conversation began, Inuyasha felt his body relax like a huge weight had finally been lifted. Impulsively he reached out and squeezed her hand. "Thanks Kagome," he whispered, a small smile creeping on his face. It appeared to make her feel better. "How soon do you have to leave?"

"By nightfall," she murmured, glancing sadly at the twilight in the sky.

He gave a small nod. "Do the others know?"

She nodded as well. "They already think I left, but I stuck around to see if you'd come back so I could tell you myself."

He glanced toward her bag. "Is that all your stuff?"

She nodded again and gave a small hiccup.

"It's dangerous to walk out there in the dark these days. I'd better walk you to the well to make sure you don't get in any trouble."

Side by side, the pair made their way back towards the Bone Eaters Well. Almost as if the demons could sense their need to remain uninterrupted, they left the hanyou and the human alone to say their goodbyes. There were no tears. There was no promise of when they would meet up. Together the pair approached the door between worlds, and as they did, Kagome took his hand. They stood there for a moment, then, with a sad smile, Kagome let go and was gone.

It wasn't as if she wasn't coming back. It wasn't as if he couldn't go over there and see her if he wanted. It wasn't like this arrangement was perminant. Yet somehow as he stood and stared at the empty well, Inuyasha inexplicably felt as if a piece of him had been severed, and in the hollow space left behind, somehow he could feel Kagome's tears.


	3. Evil Plan

Riding quickly on the swirls of air, Kagura approached the barrier of Naraku's current residence and glided through without hesitation. In one fluid motion she dismounted her transport and replaced the feather in her hair as she entered the decaying castle. The stench of death hit her hard, and the demon presence that had gathered skittered about the perimeter, seen yet unseen. From the moment they had set foot in this current hideout, she had instantly been hit with a feeling of uneasiness that had never left her. No other hideout of Naraku's had ever disturbed her so deeply. Kanna had mentioned something about a family's murder as a sacrifice for power, but the details weren't important to her. The sooner Naraku decided to move on from this place the better considering the effect it seemed to be having on her nerves.

As she made her way down the long hallway, a young white haired child fell in step next to her. Her downcast eyes were the only telling signal of any emotion on the girl, but Kagura knew that Kanna shared her unease in regards to their current location. But Kanna somehow lacked the rebellious nature that swelled within Kagura. Despite any personal emotion Kanna might have in regards to her purpose, she would forever endure it in silence. Her objectives were solely her master's bidding.

"I suppose Naraku wants to see me," Kagura muttered through gritted teeth.

"He is waiting," Kanna affirmed in her soft steady voice.

The news was of no surprise, but nonetheless Kagura's stomach gave a slight lurch. Incarnation of the man or not, Naraku commanded power through fear, preying on the specifics in the hearts of individuals. One mistake and Kagura knew her heart would be crushed for his amusement, a final punishment for her past defiance. She was determined to hold on to her lifeline, even if it meant slavery until she could regain her freedom.

"He looks very tired," Kanna's commented, breaking though her thoughts.

Kagura raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering what the girl's comments could mean, but before she could speak they arrived at the chamber doors where Naraku resided. With a glance Kagura noted that Kanna had disappeared, leaving her alone to face the master. Fists clenched, she opened the door and entered.

The room was damp and chilled, but that was not unusual for Naraku's taste. It was remarkably unadorned except for a few old tapestries and plain torch lights that provided minimal color and light to the area. At the far end of the long rectangular room, a large window stood fully exposed, allowing in the faint, flickering traces of moonlight through the thick tree line. It was here Naraku sat, eerily silhouetted against the night sky. As she crossed the room, Kagura noted that Kanna's observation was accurate. As he sat, Naraku slouched, just enough to be noticeable, and his normally crisp and even facial features drooped ever so slightly. Even his pale white skin tone had a slight opaqueness that resulted in a mildly purplish-blue glow. She blinked, trying to hide her surprise. She had never seen Naraku show such outward signs of weakness before, though she had watched for it unrelentingly at times. Now, face to face with the stark reality of it, she felt slightly at odds, not knowing how to use this situation she was now faced with.

Naraku looked up but seemed to stare right through her. "So, Kagura, I trust you gathered the information as I instructed."

The steadiness in his voice despite his appearance took her by surprise. "Y-yes," she stammered. "According to the talk amongst Inuyasha and the group, Kagome has gone back to her time indefinitely."

"Interesting." Naraku held out his palm where the still slightly incomplete Shikon No Tama rested. Instead of its normally pink sparkling glow, the jewel appeared dull and verging on gray in color.

"What's wrong with it?" Kagura asked flatly, trying to hide her curiosity.

"The jewel is responding to the absence of its priestess." He smiled slightly as if amused. "Its power will lay dormant until her presence is sensed again."

"But that means-"

"That Kikiyo is of no use to me anymore."

Kagura frowned. "So all that effort to capture Kikiyo was for nothing," she thought, recalling the intese injuries she had sustained trying to bring her down. "So now what? We just have to wait?" she asked with disdain. "We can't follow her back to her time."

Naraku let out a small laugh, as if amused that she felt this was such a large obstacle to overcome. "You may not need to wait as long as you think."

"He can't mean…" But Kagura's thought was cut short as she caught sight of a blue pair of eyes glowing from the shadows behind Naraku. Slowly they moved forward to reveal a white haired teenage boy who kneeled readily before Naraku.

"It isn't possible! Another incarnation?" Kagura held her angry shock in as much control as possible, but she could feel her nails biting into her palms and her fists shaking slightly. "Just how much power does Naraku have?"

She watched as Naraku slowly lifted his head to face the young man, looking as if the effort was taxing his remaining strength. "He is weak now," she thought. "Now would be the perfect time to attack. I'll have to figure out how to use this to my advantage."

Whether he knew her thoughts or not, Naraku addressed her without removing his gaze from his new incarnation. "Kagura, go and release Kikiyo from her cell and escort her from the grounds. Tell her she is no longer needed and she no longer need expect my interference in her activities." His smirk spread to an evil looking grin. "I expect Inuyasha shall cross her path eventually. If he still hasn't figured it out by then, tell her I leave it in her hands whether he is deserving of the information she likely has figured out by now. Now go."

"Yes Naraku," Kagura bowed and retreated to accomplish this task, her thoughts a flurry of activity.

As soon as she was gone, the white haired young man looked up from his bowed stance, his piercing blue eyes focused right on the face of his master without fear. "I await your command, my lord."

Naraku gave a curt nod of approval. "Find Kagome Higurashi. Gain her trust. Find out what she knows about the completion of the jewel. Then bring her here to me. She is the key to completing everything."


	4. Back to School

"Noise…strange noise…what the…what is that...?"

Kagome opened one sleepy eye only to snap it quickly shut again as the bright light flooded her now present reality. Using a pillow as a shield from the cursed attacker of sleep, she wildly flung her hand around in an attempt to vanquish the buzzing until she realized after a few minutes that this strategy was getting her nowhere. Reluctantly she opened her eyes again and shut off the alarm.

"Darn it, why does it have to be the most perfect, gorgeous morning ever?"

Absently she stared out her bedroom window to the bright blue sky and two fluffy clouds that sat fat and heavy in the middle of her view. Peaking out, Kagome could see the top of the God Tree, its leaves motionless in the stillness of the morning. Immediately her mind shifted to her other life. Her friends were probably waking up to the same beautiful morning, getting ready to start up their searching again, and her heart ached to be with them. "This is just temporary," she reminded herself, "You still have a mission to complete."

In the meantime, the faint smell of eggs and bacon was beginning to creep upstairs and into her bedroom, dragging her attention away from her daydreams and back to reality. Finally finding the proper motivation to get up, she stretched and flung her feet over the edge of the bed and spotted her school uniform sitting on her desk, neatly folded. A sudden warm feeling spread from her chest as she remembered how much she missed her mother during the long periods venturing through the Feudal Era, how her mother always seemed to unconsciously know just what she needed to keep her comfortably connected to home.

Jumping quickly into her uniform and running a brush through her hair, she ran downstairs to be met with the warm aroma of cooking as it floated up the stairs to greet her. Suddenly the morning didn't seem quite so daunting, and smiling she entered the kitchen and kissed her mother on the cheek as she flipped the omelet one last time before placing it on plate and handing it to her. Sota and her Grandfather were already seated and eagerly chowing away at the food in front of them. They gave a nod of greeting in between mouthfuls but never stopped the continuous shoveling of food. Typical morning. Nothing had changed while she was gone, and she felt a peace engulf her at the familiarity of it all.

"Did you sleep well Kagome?" her mother's bright voice floated over the noise of the kitchen.

"Yes Mom. My bed never felt better." It had actually taken her a long time to fall asleep, her mind full of Inuyasha and his confession to her regarding Kikiyo and their new plan of attack. By this time the group was probably already out searching for leads as to the whereabouts of the priestess. She couldn't imagine Inuyasha would want to hold off on starting based on how passionate he was in his explanation of his current experiences. Although she fully understood the importance of the mission, there was a tug of doubt in the back of her mind. Once they found Kikiyo, what was her role going to be for the group? Would they even need her any more, or would she truly be in the way from this point on?

"Kagome?" Her mother's voice brought her back to the kitchen and she looked up to see her mother's attention fixed on her.

"I'm fine Mom," she reassured her quickly. "I'm just mentally preparing myself for all this new stuff. It's kinda a big shift from what I've been doing."

This seemed to satisfy her, and Kagome's mother returned to her kitchen duties as Kagome sat at the table with her meal. With a sigh, she began picking at her food. "Mom's so happy that I'm taking time away to do this school thing, but now that I'm committed to it, it couldn't be at a worse time. What's it going to be like when I go back? Will Inuyasha even give me the time of day with Kikiyo constantly around? No, don't be silly, of course he won't ignore me completely. Besides, I have the jewel shard with me. They're going to have to come for me eventually, and if they don't then I guess nothing is getting done anyways."

"Hey, are you going to eat that?" Sota's eyes were intently focused on the eggs and toast in front of her. Because if you're not, I'd be happy to take it off your hands."

"Didn't you get enough already?" Kagome snapped, giving her brother the best "older sister evil stare" she could currently muster.

"Hey, I'm a growing boy," Sota smiled, standing up to take his empty plate to the sink. "I can't help it if my stomach keeps making demands."

Kagome couldn't help but stare as her brother crossed the room. "He's right, he has grown," she thought in amazement. "How could I have missed it? Have I been so preoccupied with the past that I've been completely neglecting my own family?"

With so many thoughts swimming through her mind, Kagome found she no longer had any appetite despite the spread of her favorite breakfast foods. After ten minutes of pushing the food around her plate, she humbly asked her mother to wrap it up for her to take along to school. Kagome's mother asked no questions, but smiled and nodded her head to which Kagome was extremely grateful. But as she rushed back downstairs after brushing her teeth to grab her backpack and the lunch her mother had packed for her, her mother stopped her at the door.

"Why don't you walk Sota to school?" she asked with a smile, clearly more an order than a request.

"But Mom, I'm too old for that!" came Sota's reply from halfway across the courtyard, but the argument was obviously just for show because he stopped to wait for his older sister to finish gathering her things. Kagome smiled and hugged her mother who whispered, "He really missed you lately. I thought you might want to spend some time with him before you got too busy again."

"Thanks Mom."

The two took off down the long flight of stairs towards the city streets, Sota's mouth running a mile a minute. At first he talked about school, new friends, and a kickball game where he had scored the winning run. Kagome listened, inwardly beaming at her younger brother's enthusiasm, but also dreading what she knew was coming. Sota did not disappoint.

"So how long's it going to be before Inuyasha comes to get you this time? I bet he'll be pretty mad that you have to go to all this school."

Leave it to Sota to hit her top two touchy subjects in one hyperactive question.

She decided to be blunt. "Inuyasha won't be coming because I told him not to come. I'll go back when I'm done catching up with all this schoolwork."

Sota's look clearly illustrated his skepticism. "Did you two have another fight? You two are always fighting!"

"No, nothing like that…" For once that was close to the truth. "He's just got his own task he has to do right now."

Sota wasn't convinced. "Sure. So what's he doing? I didn't think he'd ever stop looking for those jewel shards he's always talking about."

"If you must know, he's looking for someone to help put it back together. It's become somewhat of a priority."

"Oh." Sota walked along quietly for a moment as he processed this information. "So does that mean Inuyasha won't be coming for visits anymore?"

"Well…" She hesitated, not wanting to upset her brother who she knew clearly idolized the half demon, but not wanting to lie to him either. "I don't know," she said finally as if admitting it out loud made it official somehow. "It defiantly won't be as often as it was before."

"You two _did_ have a fight, didn't you," he said, eyeing her suspiciously from his position next to her.

Kagome hung her head, knowing that even her most perfect response would leave her bested by her younger brother. He was right. Even though it was completely unspoken, the two had left with more silent conflict than she ever remembered before, and despite the fact that there had been no verbal exchange this time, the emotional weight that had remained with her was crushing. Most battles with Inuyasha left her with an anger that fueled her activity until she was ready to go back and resolve things. Today her body felt heavy and thick, like it was fighting her every move. If this was how it was going to be for the next three months, she was in for a major struggle of will.

But then suddenly she felt a brush against her hand, and as she looked down she saw Sota's hand slip into hers as a blush crept into his cheeks. "It's okay, Nee-Chan. I'd rather see you more anyways."

It was all she could do to keep herself from becoming a blubbering idiot in the middle of the public street, but somehow Kagome held it together. She smiled at her younger brother who stared at the ground as if mortified that someone might see them like this, but at the same time unable to bring himself to let go. "Hey Sota," she said softly, "let's walk to school together every day, just you and me. That way even when it gets crazy we'll have a little time to spend with each other."

Sota's face lit up, and a huge grin spread instantly. "I'd like that," he said quietly. "But you have to leave before we get to the corner by school. I'd never hear the end of it if my friends thought I _had_ to be walked to school by my sister."

"Are you kidding?" Kagome shot back. "Walking to school with an elementary school kid is like social suicide." She held back a sigh, wondering if she even had a social ranking left to destroy. Something told her it had plummeted to around the level of her grades.

Sota announced that they had reached the point in which she could safely remain in his presence, and the two parted ways for the day. Kagome spent the rest of her journey pondering just how far ahead her classmates now were in the curriculum, how many late night study sessions it would take to catch up, and whether her now extensive knowledge base of Feudal Era demonology would be of any good use to her in these next few months. She quickly decided not to spend too much time thinking about any of these topics for her sanity's sake. By the time she walked up the front steps and down the hall to her classroom, she had resolved in her mind to accept the fact that she was going to be okay with being the freak of the class as long as she passed geometry. And history. And definitely chemistry.

The classroom was bustling with excited students broken off in clusters chatting about some event that Kagome couldn't quite discern. It didn't matter. Within seconds of entering the classroom, Yuki and Eri were in her face, bright eyed and wide grinned, instantly talking a mile a minute with Ayumi right behind, waving a greeting of hello. In the midst of all the other activity, Kagome's already overwhelmed mind barely clasped on to the choice words of "dance," "formal," and "date." She opened her mouth to speak, but Yuki's excitement was overwhelming.

"They only announced it a couple of weeks ago, but a lot of people already have dates."

"Yeah Kagome," Eri pipped in, "you'd better get to work getting the word out that you're available and looking."

"What are you guys talking about!" Kagome finally blurted out, cheeks growing pinker every second. "Why does anyone need to know that I'm available?"

"Oh yeah, that's right," Yuki snapped her fingers. "Kagome's already got a boyfriend. She can just take him."

"Ooh, I bet he'll look great in a tux!" Eri squealed.

If any area of Kagome's face had not been absolutely scarlet, this was no longer the case. "I don't think he would tolerate formalwear for very long," she squeeked, a vivid image of Inuyasha clawing at a bowtie jumping to the front of her mind. Geez, if he thought the prayer beads were bad… "Besides," she continued, "I don't think I'll be seeing much of him these days."

Three jaws fell to the floor. "Kagome, you guys broke up!"

"But he was so cool!"

"How are you holding up?"

"What happened?" Eri demanded. "It was you that broke up with him, right?"

"Er, well…sorta, I guess."

"I always said there was something strange about him," Yuki announced, stamping her foot on the ground as if that made it the final word. "And that whole two-timing thing…"

"Was that it? Did he go back to that other girl?" Ayumi asked quietly.

"Um, it's a bit complicated…"

"Well, you did the right thing, and good riddance to him," Yuki said firmly. "He was nothing but trouble from the beginning." Three heads nodded in unison.

Kagome marveled at her friends' ability to shift opinion so quickly since three seconds ago they were ogling the thought of Inuyasha dressed up for the evening. "It's okay, I really don't think I'll have much time for anything these days anyways, what with all the studying I'll be doing in cram school."

But her friends weren't listening. The three were huddled together talking in rushed voices, no longer even looking at Kagome.

"Well of course we're going to have to work fast to get her an appropriate date."

"Right, before all the acceptable ones are taken."

"The best thing for her is a good rebound relationship to take her mind off things."

"Look, what is all this fuss about anyways? Why is it so important that I have a date!" Kagome blurted out finally, unable to take it anymore.

"Weren't you listening!" Yuki huffed. "The school is throwing an American-style formal dance at the end of the year for graduating students."

"With dinner and dancing and pretty dresses and everything," Ayume added.

"The whole class has been talking about it non stop," Eri chimed in.

Yuki looked serious. "It's going to be the social event of the year! You can't miss this Kagome. Your reputation is borderline as it is with all the time you've been absent this year."

"Although the stories about your exotic boyfriend did redeem you a little bit," Eri admitted with a proud smile.

Kagome choked slightly upon hearing that. She silently prayed the rumors weren't too over the top.

"I know!" Eri snapped. "It's so obvious that Hojo has always liked Kagome. We'll just slyly suggest it to him that she's finally interested and we're set."

"Uh, I think Hojo already asked Suki to go with him." Ayumi said quietly.

"What!" Eri screeched. "When did that happen!"

"I heard her talking to Yoko about it yesterday."

Kagome sighed, not horribly upset that Hojo had already found a date for this dance , but at the same time stunned and a little horrified at how much things had changed in all aspects of her life here in the present since she had last been here. Had she really been spending so much time in the past that her own time had moved on without her and left her behind? "Look," she said finally, "I'm sure it will be fine, but I need to be thinking about studying right now, not dances. Failing the entrance exams would probably be more detrimental to my social standing than missing one dance."

As if agreeing with this final statement, the bell rang, signaling the start of class, and the students scrambled to be in their seats before the instructor entered the classroom. Finally released from the blockade of her three friends, Kagome made her way towards her desk only to stop short about three steps from it. She stared for a moment, not quite knowing what to do as a slight sense of panic started to rise up her spine.

Someone was sitting in her desk. Someone she'd never seen before.

For a brief second she stood frozen, not knowing how to respond. Had the school finally dismissed her for being absent too much? Had her classmates forgotten about her and offered her desk to a new student weeks ago? Should she say something?

"Get a grip Kagome. It's not as if he's a demon or anything."

She took another step forward and cleared her throat. "Excuse me, I think you're sitting in my desk."

The boy's head turned toward her, and Kagome instantly couldn't move as that same strange feeling ran down her spine. Her eyes were locked into a pair of bright blue eyes that seemed to grab her and demand her attention. Somewhere in her sense of boggy reality she became aware that his hair was a glorious shock of gel-spiked white that was so unique yet so familiar at the same time. She also became aware that he was looking at her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"I'm sorry. The students over there said that this desk belonged to a sickly girl who never came to class. I didn't expect someone would come almost immediately to claim it." He candidly slid the chair back and stood up, never averting his gaze or the slight smile focused towards her.

Instantly Kagome felt slightly guilty for attacking the new student, but the sickly comment threw her back on to the defensive. "Well, I have been gone a while recently…but I'm back now," she quickly threw in. His sudden attention made her slightly nervous. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude…"

"Not at all." He picked up his bag and moved easily to a seat towards the back of the room. Kagome sat down, still feeling a little guilty for her abrasiveness. The boy was new, after all, and she had been gone for a while. She wondered how long he had been sitting there, if she had come across as stuck up, and if he really thought she looked sickly. She was so absorbed in her mess of thoughts that she barely noticed as a wadded piece of paper hit her square in the forehead. Beside her, Eri grinned. She opened the paper.

"Who's that? He's cute! Get him to ask you to the dance!" jumped out at her in bubbly handwriting. Kagome groaned.

"Higurashi?" The instructor's voice rang clearly in the now silent room.

"Yes sir," she replied sheepishly, standing up slowly to face him.

"It's good to see you back. Now hand over that paper please."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Her day was only half over, and already she was ready to crawl into bed.

Kagome slowly made the final leg of the walk to the cram school, dreading each step along the way. She had just spent the entire day finding out just how behind she had fallen in school, and her reward for this was to be piled up with more work in order to catch up on the work she had missed. Somehow the process wasn't quite adding up, and thinking about it was giving her a headache. For about the hundredth time that day she seriously considered turning around and heading straight for the well, even just to hide from the mountain of geometry that threatened to crush her at any moment.

"No, you can't go back. You've got to do this."

Silently in her head she calculated the days left in her sentence and tried not to cry.

"You're so far behind. You need to do this to keep up," the voice in her head continued.

Her feet, on the other hand, seemed determined to move as slowly as possible.

"Think of how disappointed your mom will be if you don't pass the entrance exam and have to repeat a grade."

She sighed and picked up her pace, wondering how a voice in her own head could out argue her.

As she rounded the final corner she noticed a small crowd of young people milling around the entrance to a large gray building, some chatting excitedly, some looking annoyed, others quietly standing around with a sick look that Kagome was sure her own face mirrored. Ever since she had reached the age where cram school became an option, rumors had flown amongst her classmates regarding it. It was full of brainiacs. It was a haven for thugs who were forced back to school after being expelled. It was a last chance for the truly stupid to prove they could cope in an intelligent society. Looking around, Kagome decided there was an inkling of truth to all the stories.

"How did I end up here?" she groaned silently.

She really didn't need to go into details for herself regarding that question.

Glancing up again, Kagome noticed the students were starting to funnel in through the large front doors. Quickly deciding it was not in her best interest to be late on her first day, Kagome picked up her pace to join the cluster. As she muscled through the crowd, she found herself being swept down the hallway in an unceasing wave of students of all ages including an overwhelming number of elementary age children running at high speeds around the older students. Twice on her way down the hall she was nearly knocked down, but after the third child nearly sent her to the ground, she decided it was time to take a stand.

"Hey! Little brat, why don't you watch where you're-"

She froze, a creepy chill running up her spine setting her body into a defensive mode she had only ever sensed in the Feudal Era, and for the split second after the final child bounced into her sending her on a direct pathway towards the hard floor, time seemed unwilling to move. She shut her eyes, preparing herself for the inevitable pain that was to accompany her collision with the linoleum. From somewhere she heard her books hit the ground with a loud thud as her body hit something slightly soft but sturdy at the same time. Just as her mind processed the fact that she was still in a more or less upright position, she felt something wrap around her body, giving her an extra bit of security that she really was going to be spared some bruises today. Shocked, but slightly relieved, Kagome peeked out to see the light flesh tone of an arm sitting just inches from her face. "Inuyasha?" her mind instantly flashed, but her sense of reality broke through, dismissing the potential. This was the present. There was no way.

"Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

The voice registered a hint of familiarity, and Kagome finally brought herself to look at her savior. Her eyes glanced up to meet a pair of striking blue eyes and spiky pure white hair. At the realization of who it was, her stomach continued to do flips. It was him, the new boy from class that she had kicked out of her desk, and he was looking right at her from about six inches from her face, a small smile touching his lips. Her jaw just couldn't seem to stay closed.

"Those kids should learn to dodge a little better if they're going to be running in here."

"Uh, yeah, really," Kagome managed, finally somewhat finding her voice. She stood up and brushed off her uniform a couple of times. "I'm so sorry for knocking into you like that."

"No problem," his grin seemed to grow ever so slightly. "I mean, if it had to happen…"

"Well, still, thanks for preventing a worse disaster. A nice bloody nose would have been a great way to start my first day here."

"Yeah, kinda like adding insult to injury…or maybe injury to insult. Depends on how you want to look at it."

She giggled, feeling a little better. Still, her stomach was refusing to settle.

"So, since we seem to be fated to meet on multiple occasions now, it would be nice to know your name," the boy continued.

His grin just wouldn't go away, and it was mesmerizing. Kagome couldn't help but think that Eri was right- he really was good looking. He was taller than her by a good three or four inches with a slender athletic build that reminded her of the boys that ran track at school. From her encounter with his upper body, Kagome was aware that he definitely did something to keep himself in shape, a fact that she probably didn't really need to know already having just met him this morning for the first time. His face was lean and angular with a touch of color as if he's been out in the sun recently, but his most striking feature was without a doubt the contrast between his clear blue eyes and the carefully sculpted mess of short clean white spikes at the top of his head. Out of habit, Kagome found herself looking for a pair of pointed ears amongst the hair, but quickly found a pair of standard human ears placed right where anyone would expect them to be. She shook her head.

"I'm Kagome," she spouted, finally focusing back to the present.

"Well Kagome, it's nice to meet you. I'm Kanota," she heard him say as she realized that she was no longer looking at him because at some point he had bent down and started picking up her spilled books. "If you don't mind me asking," he continued as he stood up with the offering and handed it to her, "you don't seem like the type of girl who needs to be attending a cram school, so what brings you here?"

There was no use straying from the well-known story that had been circulating around her classmates from the beginning. "I've had, uh, a bit of a long spell of illnesses and missed a lot of school. I tried keeping up at home for a while, but it just got out of control." She was amazed at how easy this particular lie was becoming for her to repeat time after time. "My mom thought it would be a good idea to get a heavy intensive review before the entrance exams."

Kanota nodded. "I suppose it's not a bad idea, but you can't be looking forward to all the extra class time." He smiled that dazzling smile that Kagome was finding herself absolutely mesmerized by. "I would think you'd rather be out shopping or eating at WacDonalds or pretty much anywhere else but here."

She wasn't about to tell him that she would rather be off hunting demons about five hundred years in the past, but given the option of a burger or an afternoon of geometry, only a vegetarian would really be struggling with the decision.

Especially if Kanota was offering to come too.

Instantly Kagome was appalled by her own mind. What was she thinking! Wasn't her life complicated enough already without adding another boy to the mix?

"So what about you?" she asked instead. "How did you end up here?"

"My dad travels a lot for work, often for extended periods, and since my mom is gone, my siblings and I have to go with him. I guess I'm kinda like you. I tried to study on my own, but now I need a pretty good review or I'll be repeating this year too."

"Wow, that's rough, but all the places you've been must have been exciting."

"It's alright, but sometimes it gets pretty frustrating having to leave as soon as it seems like you've finally settled in. Pretty hard to keep any friends."

From all around them an alarm sounded, and the crowd in the hallway started to focus direction on their individual destinations. Kagome felt a slight bubble of disappointment that the conversation had to end here. Stupid cram school just seemed to be getting in the way of all the more decent things in her life these days. Still, just because he was nice enough to pick up her books and chat for a little while didn't really mean anything. Passing the entrance exams on the other hand was quickly elevating to a panic-level crisis, especially after her first day back at school.

Kanota stopped in front of one of the doorways and turned toward her as he looked at a piece of paper in his hand. "I think this is my stop," he said in a mellow tone as if he could handle anything beyond that door.

"Yeah, I'd better get going too," Kagome nodded, "even though my first five minutes here were almost a total disaster."

Kanota let out a small laugh. "I hope it's improved a bit since then. It probably can't be any worse."

"It certainly did improve," she thought, praying silently that her face didn't look as red as it felt.

"Good luck Kagome. If you survive, I hope I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"We'll have to compare notes sometime to see who has it worse," she replied with a wave.

Kanota's eyes seemed to flicker with something she couldn't quite read as he said, "I'm looking forward to it," and disappeared through the classroom door.

For a brief moment Kagome couldn't seem to move, nor could she explain the strange shiver that ran up and down her spine that was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She pondered the strange reaction until she realized that she was about ten seconds away from being shut out of her first day of class. Frantic, she took off down the hall, nearly taking out a few small children lingering around before slipping in through the classroom door as the final bell toned the mechanical ring that signaled the start of class. Kagome quickly claimed a seat toward the back of the room next to the window. It became the perfect spot for allowing her mind to daydream about white-haired boys.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Inuyasha was quickly growing irritated.

So far their searching had led them absolutely nowhere. For the last two days they had traveled amongst the last known whereabouts of Kikiyo without finding so much as a trace of the priestess. Naraku and his minions hadn't bothered to show their faces either. It was if they had all fallen off the face of the earth somehow. As if that wasn't enough, Shippou just wouldn't seem to shut up about Kagome being gone, even after receiving a few clobberings to remind him his comments were definitely not appreciated. Especially since he knew the fox demon was right. It just wasn't the same without Kagome in the mix.

Inuyasha quickly dismissed the thought. There was no point in dwelling on it since there was nothing he could do about it at this particular moment. Right now they were getting close to sunset, and needed to find a secure area where they could spend the night since there were no towns anywhere nearby. Miroku had mentioned a while ago about needing to find food and-

Suddenly, without warning, Inuyasha froze as a strange feeling ran though his body, a feeling unlike anything he'd ever felt before, yet strangely his mind had no problem comprehending the reaction. Kagome. She was in danger. But it made no sense to him.

"Inuyasha, is anything the matter?" Miroku spoke from behind him.

"Nah, it's nothing," he replied, feeling almost like he was trying to convince himself just that. He shrugged the feeling off as best he could, wondering what in the world could have caused the strange sensation. After all, Kagome was back in her own time. What danger could she possibly be in there?


	5. Separation Anxiety

Kikiyo heard Kagura's footsteps echoing down the hallway well before she ever reached her cell, and she knew that within moments her suspicions would be confirmed. Since her capture almost two weeks ago, Naraku had made no advances towards her regarding the Shikon or her potential knowledge of the whereabouts of the last shard, nor had he exerted his standard level of effort to keep her guarded. She suspected he knew for sure somehow what she had been suspecting for some time now. Hearing Kagura's footsteps now was nearly enough, but she was waiting to hear her message to confirm it for sure. Seated in the corner, Kikiyo made a conscious effort to stare at the opposite wall as the echoes grew louder upon their approach, not wanting to give Kagura the satisfaction of knowing that she was waiting for her with any level of anticipation.

Soon Kikiyo heard the noises stop and a metallic click that she recognized as the cell door, and before a word was spoken, all the questions Kikiyo had been pondering the last few weeks were answered. She focused in on a dark spot on the stone wall and waited.

"Get up," Kagura commanded harshly. "Don't you want to leave? Naraku has granted you your freedom."

"You mean Naraku has no use for me anymore," Kikiyo replied, her eyes not wavering from their focus.

"Does the reason really matter?" Kagura shot back. "You still have your freedom."

The priestess paused, pondering this statement for a moment. "We both know it's not the same anymore," she said, turning her head towards the other woman to look at her finally. "Otherwise Naraku would not be so generous about my release."

"I don't try to understand Naraku's plans. I'm only a pawn after all," Kagura voiced with spite.

Kikiyo's look did not waver, but her voice softened as she spoke. "Do not discredit your worth so quickly. Naraku has no qualms about the loss of disposable life, but he seems to place a good deal of effort on your protection. If you truly despise him as much as you say, you sit in a position to do something about it, if you have the courage."

Kagura stood still, letting the words sink in and physically tensing as her anger and frustration built at the truth of the priestess' words, but she knew that starting a battle here would be futile. Still, she couldn't help throwing in a jab of her own, and mockingly she called out, "I suppose you should run and tell the hanyou since you know Naraku's plan, but it must be devistating to have to admit it."

For a split second Kikiyo's composition broke, to Kagura's utmost delight, but then she stood and started for the cell door. As she passed the other woman she paused and said softly, "I'll deal with Inuyasha when the time comes," before exiting down the long hallway. Kagura watched until she disappeared into the darkness with a satisfied smirk, reviling in the small victory that at least the woman wasn't going to be around her anymore. It was enough for now.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kagome awoke with more energy than she'd felt in a long time. She snuggled under her covers for a moment, but ultimately the bright sun and chirping birds outside made the urge to be up and active almost unbearable. But, even more disturbing, she was actually looking forward to going to school. The thought made her stop in the middle of brushing her hair to stare at herself in the mirror. Where had that notion come from? She didn't look any different than she did before she went to bed last night, much less like she was clinically insane. For god sake, only nerds and crazy people actually looked forward to the torturous workload that accompanied sitting in that desk every day. But she had to admit it was becoming more comfortable again. Without the constant competition between her time and the Feudal Era, Kagome had made huge strides in her effort to catch up over the past couple weeks. Even more, it had been wonderful seeing her friends again on a regular basis. She loved walking with Sota in the morning and the time they'd been spending together. She loved getting her last test back with a perfect mark on the top and not having to shove it instantly in her backpack to prevent anyone else from seeing it. She liked sitting with her family for a good meal. She loved the cozy feel of her bed at night.

The only piece missing was Inuyasha and the others.

Thinking about her friends sent a small pang of guilt through her stomach. Despite all the wonderful things about being home in her time, there was no denying how much she missed her friends. Every day she wondered what they were doing, if they had found Kikiyo yet, and most importantly if they were thinking of her too. But the longer she spent at home in her own time, the more she remembered why she had initially been so adamant on finding a way home when she had first stumbled into the Feudal Era. Home was warm and comfortable with hot bath water, clean sheets, and a real mattress. Not to mention grocery stores, movie theaters, and of course, WacDonalds. She wished all her friends were able to come and see her time judging by how excited they always seemed to get when she brought things back with her.

The longer she thought about her friends, the more determined she was to see them again. Quickly Kagome assessed her workload in her mind. She had really been working hard to finish her history report, and she had just had a test in both math and chemistry, so there was just a little to study over the weekend. It really wasn't much of a debate in her head. As she stood up to head downstairs, Kagome had already made up her mind that she would be visiting the Feudal Era for the weekend. After all, she deserved a reward for all her hard work, didn't she? There was always the chance that Inuyasha and the others would be away looking for Kikiyo, but Kaete might have a clue as to their whereabouts. Besides, it would be good just to visit with the old priestess and the villagers too, and she could always come back home if she was just sitting around.

With an even more inspiring drive to get through her day, Kagome bound down the stairs in a flash, much to the surprise of her family who by this time had gotten used to eating breakfast with a silent sloth like creature every morning. Before Grandpa had even had time to finish explaining this particular day's astounding importance in the Higureshi family chronicles, Kagome had finished her entire breakfast and cleared her dishes only to run out towards the front door calling for Sota to hurry up. Sota froze in amazement, not really quite sure if that was really his sister that had just gone through the kitchen, Grandpa mirroring his emotion beside him. Kagome's mom just smiled and held out a small sack toward her son.

"When you catch up to her, tell her she forgot her lunch in her hurry to get to school."

It didn't take Sota long to catch up with her. Kagome was waiting for him outside in the temple yard, standing next to the god tree gazing up into its branches as the morning sun filtered through. As he came up next to her, Kagome sighed and smiled strangely, as if she was suddenly very close to solving some puzzle that had been plaguing her for a long time. He held out the lunch bag and cleared his throat, which finally drew her attention away from the sky.

"What's your deal, sis? You've totally been acting weird all morning. And since when have you ever been in a hurry to get to school?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I just had all this energy this morning for some reason. It's no big deal."

Sota gave her a look, not really accepting her answer, but not really in the mood to pursue it any further. Instead he eventually shrugged his shoulders and started taking off toward the long staircase, calling over his shoulder, "We'd better get going or we're going to be late."

Soon enough, his sister had caught up with him and the two were on their way down the road toward school. Kagome remained unusually quiet and deep in thought, but at the same time Sota noticed that she really looked content and peaceful in a way he had never seen her before. Usually at this point in the day, Kagome was ranting about all the work coming up and the test that she hadn't started studying for and then crying at her lack of a social life because of it. So it took him by surprise when out of the blue Kagome announced that she would be spending the weekend in the Feudal Era and taking a break from the workload.

"Really? You mean you've caught up already?" he asked.

"Well, no, but I think I deserve a break. Besides, I keep getting distracted wondering what everyone is doing and not concentrating on school as much as I should. Maybe taking a short break will get it out of my system."

"Whatever, you just want to go see Inuyahsa," Sota replied with a smirk.

"That is so not it! I want to see everyone and find out what they've been up to. I'm part of the group too, you know. They might need me."

"Don't be stupid. If they really needed you, don't you think Inuyasha would have come for you by now? I mean, from what you've told me about your friends, you're probably more in the way than you are helpful."

By the look on her face, Sota wished he could have taken his little joke back right then and there, but the damage was already done. Kagome's face sank and in a tiny voice she said, "Maybe…" but her mind was already racing. Had they found Kikiyo? Were they already planning on how to take out Naraku without her? Maybe they were doing better without her. After all, usually she was just in the way…getting captured…staying in the background…

Noticing the change in her demenor instantly, Sota quickly went into damage control. "Kagome, that's not what I meant. He's probably just-"

His speech was cut short as, from seemingly out of nowhere, a tall white haired boy was standing next to them. At first glance Sota thought it was Inuyasha until he quickly noticed that the hair was much too short and minus a couple of pointed ears, and he seemed to be wearing the uniform from Kagome's school. He gave his sister a sideways look, but Kagome was already smiling and saying hello.

"Kanota! I didn't know you walked to school this way," she exclaimed.

"Well, this is actually a little detour from my normal route to school, but I thought I'd get some breakfast this morning," he explained. "I've been finding a bunch of really great little restaurants and cafés in this area." Kanota stopped and glanced at Sota who was standing quietly next to his sister. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

"No, it's alright. This is my brother Sota. We were just walking to school together. This is Kanota. He's new in my class at school."

Sota gave a small smile and waved in response to Kanota's cordial greeting, but stuck close to his sister as they continued to walk towards the school. From that point on the other boy seemed more than happy to completely ignore the younger boy and focus completely on Kagome, chatting about general happenings from the school and the workload from their cram school classes. Much to Sota's irritation, Kagome fell right in, giggling happily about her friends and the upcoming test in chemistry in a lighthearted tone, leaving the topic of Inuyasha far behind.

"She's in a totally different mood now," he thought. "It's like she forgot we were talking about Inuyasha at all and how upset she was."

He watched the other two from behind as they walked, and surprisingly found himself thinking of Inuyasha as well. It wasn't just Kanota's white hair, but his body frame, the way he walked, and even his upfront attitude, although he got the impression that this guy wasn't quite as recklessly impulsive as the half-demon. Either way, something about him made Sota want to investigate him a little more, especially since his older sister seemed to be so interested in him as well. He frowned.

"What does she think she's doing? I thought she was going out with Inuyasha. What's with this new guy? I wonder if she's spending so much time at home more because they had a really big fight and not really because of this school thing. I mean, she never really felt like she had to study this much before…"

By the time the three reached the point where Sota typically split off for the last leg of his walk, he had made up his mind that this situation needed further investigation. Not that he really should be spying, but Inuyasha might just want to know where his sister was in case he needed to find her for some other emergency. As Kagome's brother and the man of the family, it was his responsibility to watch out for the welfare of his sister after all. After saying goodbye and breaking off, a plan was already formulating in his mind as to how he was going to be keeping tabs on his sister and how she was really spending her time while she was home.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Inuyasha sat quietly in a meditative pose as the others started to wake up and get ready for their day, or continue to snooze in Shippou's case. Sango had announced that after five straight days of traveling and searching, she needed a morning to bathe and refresh herself, and soon after had taken off for a nearby riverbed that she had scoped out the evening before. Kirara had gone with her, presumably to guard the pathway to where she was going to be from one lecherous monk who was bound to try and follow. Eventually, sure enough, from a short distance behind him there was a distinctive growl and yelp before Miroku reemerged from the surrounding forest and settled himself down at the campsite. Inuyasha let out a small snort, trying to hide his amusement at the pair, mainly Miroku's unrelenting persistence. He figured the monk would have learned not to try things like that by now. Maybe he had some sick fascination with pain. Unconsciously, he fingered the prayer beads around his neck.

Eventually Shippou woke up as well and announced that he was not taking a step further without first finding some food. Inuyahsa raised an eyebrow at the fox demon as he walked out into the forest cover by himself without so much as a look back. It was remarkably unlike him. Miroku too watched as the bushy tail disappeared behind some bushes before he sat down across the fire pit from his companion and pulled some dried fish and bread from his robe. He offered some to the hanyou who shook his head.

"He certainly seems to have grown up a bit since Kagome's been gone," Miroku remarked.

"Hhumph. It's because she's not around to baby him all the time these days."

His response took Miroku by surprise, and he let out a small laugh. "I suppose you have a point. Still, I think he's taking her being gone a lot harder than we all think."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it until she gets back, so he may as well suck it up and get over it." Inuyasha crossed his arms firmly across his chest.

The corner of Miroku's mouth rose slightly while he chewed, and he eyeballed Inuyasha from across the way. "Really Inuyasha, you can't tell me that you haven't thought about Kagome at all these past few weeks. You have to admit that the dynamics have certainly changed since she went back to her time."

Inuyahsa's eyes popped open wide for a split second at Miroku's comment, and he quickly tried to recover his composure before the monk noticed. "I don't know why we're even talking about this. It's not going to make her come back any faster."

"So you have missed her," Miroku nodded with a knowing tone, taking another bite of bread.

"So what?" he shot back. "It's not like I'm moping around about it. We have a job to do."

"Relax, I miss her too. I'm sure Sango does as well. We've all become pretty close since we started traveling together."

Inuyasha closed his eyes again, not wanting to display just how close to the mark the monk's comment was. The reality was that at this point his feelings went beyond just missing Kagome. Ever since the night he had watched her slip down the well, he'd felt like there was a small piece of him that he couldn't seem to settle, like an itch that he couldn't quite get to whatever he did. It wasn't so much that he didn't recognize that he missed Kagome. Miroku was right; they'd been traveling together for a long time now, and with all they had been through together there was no denying that they, as well as all the others, had developed a strong and lasting friendship. But Kagome had gone home for stretches in the past, sometimes lasting a few days or more, and he had never experienced anything like this before. He thought about bringing it up to Miroku, but quickly dismissed it. It was probably nothing, just overreacting to all the stress of these past few months. But undoubtedly something had changed, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

And then the feeling started again.

It was something he'd been experiencing since Kagome had left, a feeling of dread, as if something was seriously wrong around him and his demon instincts were kicking in to alert him. Most of the time it was like a hollow feeling in his stomach that made him instantly assess his surroundings for danger, but as soon as it was determined that his own situation was safe, his mind instantly flashed Kagome to the forefront. It usually took him a while to convince himself that she was safe. In fact, of all the places she could be, her time had to be the safest of all, strange as it was to the rest of them. But no matter what he did, it seemed like he couldn't convince himself otherwise when these feelings came.

"Kagome."

This made Miroku take notice.

"Inuyasha, is something wrong? You suddenly look on edge."

His mind raced, debating back and forth whether or not to tell him what was going on without sounding like a hypochondriac, but eventually pride got the better of him. "Nah, it's nothing," he said with as much authority as he could muster, thankful that at this point the feelings seemed to be subsiding. "How long is Sango going to be anyway? We need to get moving."

Miroku eyed him skeptically, but continued to chew his breakfast in peaceful thought. There was something strange going on, something he couldn't quite figure, but at the same time couldn't be ignored, and it had all started with Kagome's leaving. Too many pieces didn't fit. For one, there had been no sign of Naraku, even knowing that the group possessed shards of the Shikon. Strange as well, there had been absolutely no sign of Kikiyo's existence whatsoever. All the villages they had been through were also eagerly awaiting the mysterious healer that had previously been wandering through the country. Even her two companion priests had seemingly disappeared. In fact, they had not had an ounce of trouble since they had left Kaete's village. It was like the world had gone from focusing on them to ignoring them completely. Was Kagome really the link in all this?

For now, Miroku decided to let it sit. There was no need to stress out Inuyasha even more with his theories. If there was anything he had learned during his time of traveling together with their strange group, it was that when events were ready to unfold they usually had no problem finding themselves right in the middle of them.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kagome sat in class, marveling at how Kanota's popularity seemed to have skyrocketed seemingly overnight. After parting with Sota, the two had completed the walk to school, only to be interrupted right away by a group of boys who tore him away with talk of a pick-up basketball game before class started. Kagome had giggled at the time, thinking it was a little presumptuous how they had just about literally carried him off before even so much as asking him if he really wanted to play. However, as he was on his way towards the school grounds, Kanota had called back about wanting to talk to her about something after school today, which she thought was odd. They weren't really in the same cram class, so there couldn't be anything he needed to know about that, and anything in regular class could be answered by anyone sitting around him. He certainly seemed to have enough people swarming around him during their break times.

It wasn't as if she'd had time before class to talk anyway. As soon as she hit school grounds Ayume, Yuki, and Eri were right in her face starting in about the school dance again, especially Yuki who seemed to be in an outright panic about the fact that she still didn't have a date lined up yet. As adamantly as Kagome tried to quell her fears that not going to the dance would not destroy her life outright, Yuki had announced that by the end of the day she would personally find someone to take Kagome to the dance. Kagome sighed. At one point she had just stopped talking and started phasing out the lists of classmates that her three friends were reviewing frantically with each other.

"I may as well just go with the flow. They're going to do it anyways I suppose. Although it's nice to know they're looking out for me, whatever their insane reasoning is."

The teacher was reviewing a test that the class had taken a few days before, so Kagome decided to tune out for a while and think about her plans for the weekend. The more she thought about going back to the Feudal Era, the more excited she found herself. This had been the longest stretch she could remember since she first fell through the well that she had spent back at home away from her friends, and as much fun as she was having enjoying her own time, she was ready to go back and see what had been going on. Of course, by the time she finished with classes and got home to change and get her things ready, it would probably be close to sunset, but she supposed that if the group was going to be back at Kaete's village, they would more likely be there around sundown than any sooner before. If not, she could spend some time with Kaete and find out if she knew anything about what they had discovered if anything.

Class this particular day seemed to pace along with an unrelenting slowness, so when the bell rang for lunch Kagome bolted from the room, excited to get to spend some time outside in the bright sunshine. That was definitely something she missed already, being able to spend so much of her time outside in the beautiful countryside of Feudal Japan. There was certainly no doubt that although progress made their lives easier and more advanced, it was paid for in the destruction of the glorious forests and plains of Inuyasha's time. She had never thought to ask him what he thought of her world. She wondered if he found it intriguing in the way that she found his world so appealing, or if it really was a shock to the senses to have ruined nature to the extent that her time had. For a second she felt a pang of sadness from somewhere deep within that seemed to fade in and out briefly, leaving her a little confused.

"Where did that come from? It never really upset me before when I've thought about my time like this. Sure, we have a lot more progress, but it's ultimately for the better, right? And it's not as if the whole world is covered in concrete and buildings. The God Tree lasted this long for one. It can't be the only bit of nature left over from the past."

Before she had time to ponder her thought further, Eri's voice carried from across the grounds and soon Kagome found herself carried away by her friends to meet a large number of boys that she had honestly never known she attended school with. After a bunch of "hellos" and smiles and barely getting some food in her mouth, the bell was ringing and they were headed back to class. "So much for spending time outside," Kagome thought with a sigh. "Good thing I'll be able to spend some time outside soon."

As she came back into the classroom, she noticed Kanota sitting in his seat, watching her as if he was waiting for her to get back. He started to stand up but was quickly intercepted by two girls from the class who seemed to have a question for him but couldn't seem to be able to spit it out to save their lives. Kagome smiled, her overwhelming good feeling from that morning taking over again and filling her with a contentness that nothing seemed to be able to penetrate. Even as she sat down in her desk, the sun crept through the window and splayed her with its warm rays, as if it somehow knew that doing so would make that moment perfect. For a moment, she forgot about everything, the past, school, the jewel shards, Naraku, and just existed. It was exhilarating.

By the time school let out for the day, Kagome felt as if she could accomplish anything and that nothing could spoil her good mood. Even the thought of spending another afternoon in cram school couldn't touch her. After waving goodbye to her friends for the weekend, she headed out down the road towards her destination, humming happily to herself and enjoying her time alone. Although the walk wasn't very far, Kagome found herself thinking about Kikiyo wandering alone through the countryside and forests of Japan unaccompanied by anyone but the silent soul collectors. Before, Kagome had always felt a little sorry for her in some way, that the loneliness and solitude were part of the reason why Kikiyo was the way she was and she couldn't help coming off so cold and distant all the time. But today as she walked, Kagome seemed to understand just a little more how someone could choose to wander alone for a while. It was so easy to really be in touch with her real thoughts without the distraction of everyone else's lives bombarding from all sides.

"Funny thinking of Kikiyo like this since I've been so meditative myself today," Kagome found herself pondering. "Maybe I am a little more like her than I realized, for all that people talk about me being her reincarnation. Still, I'm not really any closer to being a priestess than when I first learned about Kikiyo. Best I can say is I'm a little better shot with an arrow. But today, for some reason, it's like I can almost figure out this whole priestess thing and how someone could actually be like that."

Instead of her direct route, Kagome found herself taking the long way around through the small park in the middle of town. Above her in the breeze the cherry blossoms snowed down in a pink and white blanket onto the entire world below, catching in her hair with small specks of ordination and dusting her uniform in specks of color. She stopped, marveling at the sight of a winter in the spring. "I guess there really is still some great things to see still, even amongst all our new technology. If we can just somehow keep this balance, maybe this time can be just as nice as the past, but in our own way…"

Despite the enticement to just sit and enjoy the day there, something triggered in her mind that she really did have somewhere to be. Quickly she glanced at her watch, and instantly felt her stomach sink. Quarter to four. She had completely lost track of time on her detour. Seconds later she was running full speed toward the cram school, praying desperately that she wasn't already locked out of the classroom.

"God, Kagome," she thought angrily as she ran. "Sat around wasting time all afternoon, and now you're late."

But as she rounded the corner, it was instantly obvious that her mysteriously good day was not about to be ruined by her tardiness. To her surprise, the doors to the school building were closed and the building windows dark, and the campus strangely void of its usual array of students. Only one person stood leaning against the building, arms folded across his chest. Kanota smiled as he noticed her approaching.

"I figured if I waited long enough you'd show up sooner or later."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Kagome!"

"Ow!" Shippou cried out as he ran straight into the back of Inuyasha's leg. "Whadda ya stopping for!" But there was no answer. Inuyasha stood staring straight ahead, eyes completely transfixed into the distance. Shippou poked his calf a couple of times as he rubbed his nose. "Inuyasha? Are you okay?" he asked quietly, a slight waver in his voice, but the hanyou didn't move.

"Kagome…"

It didn't take long for Sango and Miroku to take notice of Inuyasha and hurry forward to see what was going on, but even their approach didn't seem to break the trance. He stood silent, completely focused, and uncharacteristically serious. Nervously Miroku slowly stepped up beside him, knowing the danger that a state like this could potentially mean if for some reason his demon side was fighting for control. He placed a hand gently on his shoulder, trying to link his consciousness back to reality. "Inuyasha, what is it? What's going on?"

His response was almost a whisper. "Kagome…she's in danger…"

"But Kagome isn't here. She's in her time. I'm sure she can handle anything there."

"No, it's serious. I'm sure of it," he replied, still unable to move, but Miroku noticed his fists seemed to be clenching tighter.

"But how do you know?" Miroku asked, reflecting the confusion of the rest of the group.

"Is Kagome okay?" Shippou asked in a panic.

It was sudden, like something finally snapped inside him, and Inuyasha knew what he had to do. "I have to go," he said firmly, not giving the others a chance to react as he bounded off in the direction of the bone eater's well. "Go on without me. I'll find you as soon as I know she's safe." It was the last thing they heard before he was completely gone in the distance, long before anyone had a chance to say anything.

Shippou blinked a couple of times, trying desperately to make any sense of Inuyasha's actions. If he was that intent on finding Kagome, something serious must have happened to her. But everyone kept insisting she was safe because she was home. And then it hit him. Anxiously he tugged on Miroku's robe. "We haven't seen or heard from Naraku or any of his bad guys since Kagome left. Do you think somehow he found a way to get to her time?"

Sango nodded, looking pale and serious. Even Kirara let out a small growl. "Is it possible? Could he have figured out that she has the jewel shards and found a way to follow her?"

"We can't rule anything out," Miroku replied frowning. "But Inuyasha's the only one of us that can travel to Kagome's time. The only thing we can do is keep looking for Kikiyo until he comes back. I have a feeling that finding her may give us some of the answers we're looking for." But despite the calm he hoped he portrayed in his voice, there was no denying the feeling of turmoil that Inuyasha's hasty departure left him with. Glancing around as the group took off again, there was no doubt that everyone's mind was on Kagome and what could possibly have panicked Inuyasha so much that he would abandon the mission that had up until now occupied his complete attention.


	6. These new feelings

_Thanks for the feedback from those who had the time. It's nice to know that someone other than my roomate really cares what's going to happen next in my little saga. I'm hoping now that I'm out of school I'll have more free time to sit and write instead of trying to manage to take notes and get a thought down at the same time in the middle of class. Thank god for laptops and their ability to have multiple documents open at once. But I digress...besides, I'm sureyou'd all rather get on to more important things than my ranting about school. Enjoy, and tell me what you think:)_

It took her a few moments to fully catch her breath, but her mind was racing. She didn't remember any notification that classes were going to be canceled today, but nevertheless the building was dark and shut down, and besides the two of them, completely deserted. Thinking back, she wondered if this was what Kanota had wanted to talk to her about earlier today. He certainly didn't seem surprised by the unexpected free afternoon.

"What's going on?" she asked finally, her voice still raspy from her run.

"Take a look for yourself," Kanota replied, glancing over toward the main doors. Her eyes followed the direction of his to notice a white piece of paper taped to the closed entryway with a message in bold lettering.

Students:

Due to an unexpected gas main leak, classes are canceled for the day.

Studies will resume as scheduled on Monday afternoon. Thank you for

your understanding.

Hikaraka School Administration

"So you had no idea about this either," Kagome said finally, but still feeling as if she had missed something important.

Kanota's eyes were bright and active. "Are you disappointed in the perspective of a free afternoon? I can't say I'm all that upset not to be spending the rest of this gorgeous day sitting inside another classroom."

"No, that's not it at all! It's just that up until a couple of minutes ago I thought I was going to be spending it at home because I was going to be locked out of my class."

"And just where have you been?" he asked, reaching out to pluck a blossom from her hair and examine it. Embarrassed, Kagome quickly started running fingers across her head, trying to brush off the pink specks, but Kanota reached out to stop her. "Don't," he said smoothly. "I think it looks kinda nice…a little magical even."

By this point Kagome's face was beyond a deep shade of red, but her hands came down to rest at her sides. "So, I guess there's no reason to stay around here…"

Kanota spoke quickly and with authority, not really giving Kagome a chance to refuse. "Since we have the time, we should go get some ice cream or something. Besides, I still need to talk to you."

For a split second, Kagome's jaw dropped as her mind processed this statement. It was almost as if he was asking her on a date, but at the same time he stood there so casually as if they had known each other for years and already knew that she was going to accept his offer. This thought was quickly followed by the realization that she really did want to go with him. Something about Kanota sparked her curiosity, and she found the more time spent with him left her wanting to learn more about him. Still, the prospect of being able to spend a little more time with her friends in the past crossed her mind as well, and she quickly debated the chances that the group would be back at the village waiting for her so early in the afternoon. But as much as she wanted to believe that there would be a happy reunion, Sota's words from earlier that day stuck with her.

"Ice cream would be nice," she said with a smile. "Where did you have in mind?"

The two walked down the street towards town discussing various flavors of ice cream and what substance to drench them in. Happily giggling at the thought of mixing bananas and hot fudge in a bowl of vanilla yumminess, Kagome hardly acknowledged the small gnawing feeling in her stomach and the nervous lightheadedness she felt while she walked. "I must be hungry," she thought to herself. "Ice cream will be just the perfect way to start my weekend before I head back to the past." Hurrying to keep up with Kanota's long stride, Kagome never noticed the dark mist crawling its way out the main door of the school and dispersing amongst the outside air, nor did she see the tortured human face place his cheek against one of the windows and weakly knock on the glass in a last ditch effort to catch the attention of anyone who might be outside before slipping into unconsciousness.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Higureshi temple was peacefully quiet and empty as Inuyasha emerged from the well house, but the picturesque grounds did nothing to alleviate the rising sense of dread. Of course he hadn't expected to find Kagome right away as soon as he stepped out the well, but he hadn't expected the feelings of uneasiness to suddenly become more urgent just by showing up in her time. He had to find her fast before something happened, provided nothing had happened already. His body responded instantly to his thoughts by tensing up, expressing the need to move, but not knowing where to begin. He decided on Kagome's room for lack of anyplace better. Nimbly he jumped to the roof and entered through the window as usual, but the room was neat, tidy, and empty.

"Shit. Where now?"

Senses told him right away that there was no one upstairs, so he headed to the lower level for any clues as to her whereabouts. It was soon clear that Kagome had not been there for hours, much to Inuyasha's growing frustration. Obviously this was not going to be easy, a realization that raised his alarm even more. Kagome's world was huge and complicated. Finding her without help was going to be difficult, and his resources here were limited at best.

His ears tweaked, alerting him to the footsteps coming down the hall towards the kitchen. Instantly his mind began processing the information his senses began firing at him. Whoever it was, it was human, more specifically a male human, and judging by the way the floor was groaning underneath his steps, this particular human was short and squat. By the speed and shuffle of his step, this person was upwards in age and wearing traditional temple robes, but any identifying scent was completely masked by the heavy incense of what he recognized to be a combination of several pungent temple herbs and spices. It didn't matter. He already knew who was coming and allowed himself to let his guard down slightly.

"Inuyasha!" Grandpa greeted excitedly. "It's been a while. Are you here to see Kagome?"

Grandpa grinned excitedly in recognition of his granddaughter's friend, obviously giving no impression that he was concerned about Kagome at all at this particular moment. Inuyasha took this as a good sign even though it did nothing to subdue his own unease. Still, if anything, time was not on his side, and he needed to determine if the old man knew where Kagome was without raising too much of a sense of crisis. After all, he'd dealt with Kaete enough to know that old people were pretty much only useful for getting in the way in situations involving conflict, and he fully anticipated conflict before this day was over. That, and any kind of stress never seemed to be good for them.

"Yeah," he answered quickly. "I really need to see Kagome quick. We need her help with something." Best not to give too much information. Keep it as general as possible.

"Well you're going to have to wait until Kagome gets back from class. She has her cram school for another hour or two, and we don't usually see her home until around dinnertime."

"Can you tell me where this cram school is?" Inuyasha pushed for whatever information he could get but trying not to sound too desperate. "I'll just go get her if that's okay."

"Hmm, let's see. I think it's somewhere downtown, a few blocks from the market. No, wait, that's the movie theater. No, I'm pretty sure it's on the same street as that new post office they just built…"

Just as Inuyasha was ready to give up hope on the rambling old man, Sota's voice came billowing through the hallways of the house as the door slammed shut, announcing his return from school. Seeing the demon in the kitchen, Sota instantly glommed on to his sister's friend, fishing for news and stories from the Feudal Era since her hiatus. While normally Inuyasha would revel in the attention and opportunity to talk about his battle glories, today just wasn't the time, and he needed to make that point clear to the kid fast. Grabbing Sota by the collar, Inuyasha waved goodbye to Grandpa who was still talking himself through the directions to Kagome's school, and quickly moved outside, Sota's excited chatter trailing behind as they exited.

As soon as they reached the privacy of the courtyard, Inuyasha put Sota down and faced him straight on, the seriousness of his expression instantly silencing the boy. He wasted no time. "Listen, it's essential that I find Kagome right away. She could be in a huge amount of trouble."

"What do you mean? What kind of trouble!" Sota asked, suddenly panicked.

"That's not important. I just need to get to her right away." He hoped Sota would get the impression not to ask too many questions and would just give him the information he needed.

"She should be at her cram school right now, but I don't see how she could be in any danger there." He smirked. "Unless of course she didn't really study for her test and got caught cheating or something. I've heard those teachers are ruthless about that kind of thing."

"Whatever. Can you get me there fast?"

Sota nodded, finally catching on to Inuyasha's mood, and instantly found himself swept up underneath the demon's arm and headed in the direction of downtown faster than he'd ever traveled on foot before. Other than shouting directions, he remained silent for the ride, Inuyasha's seriousness weighing on him as well. Whatever was going on, Inuyasha seemed really concerned to the point that his entire focus was on Kagome and nothing else. Not once had he uttered a word of self-glorification like he normally did, nor was there one word of complaint about the trouble Kagome was putting him through just to locate her, both of which were completely out of character. Butterflies hit Sota's stomach in a sudden flurry. Was his sister really in trouble?

Traveling by rooftop in long leaps and bounds, it didn't take the pair long to reach the building, and it took even less time for the two of them to determine that something was definitely wrong. Where a busy campus usually sat, instead they were faced with a dark and seemingly deserted location that sent a shiver down Sota's spine. For a moment he stood staring at the building shocked. Where was everyone? Normally at this time of day there were still students and instructors hanging around all over the place. Scanning the building for clues about what was going on, Sota quickly spotted the note attached to the door and ran to see what information it had to offer. He read it quickly, and was immediately relieved by the explanation it provided. Kagome wasn't here, thank goodness, but it meant that they were back at square one as far as locating her.

"Inuyasha!" he called out over his shoulder. "Look! The school's been closed for the weekend for maintenance. Kagome's not here. I'll bet she's off ditzing off again with her friends or something. I swear, sometimes she can be-"

"Sota!" Inuyasha's voice was short, curt, and deadly serious, catching the other by surprise. "Get away from there right now."

Sota had never in his life been ordered with such intense authority, and he obeyed without question, backing away from the building slowly as if it would strike him at any moment if he made a sudden movement. Reaching what he finally deemed to be a safe distance, he turned to Inuyasha and was frozen in his tracks. The demon stood fully silent and motionless, head bowed slightly, eyes gleaming with what Sota recognized in some deep part of his being as being pure and absolute hatred. For the first time in a long time, for a brief moment, Sota was terrified of him.

"Sota," Inuyasha's voice was quieter and some of the edge was gone, but there was no reduction in the authority it possessed. "Go home now. It's not safe here."

"What do you mean? What about Kagome?"

"I'll take care of it," was all he said. "Now go!"

Sota hesitated for a minute, not wanting to desert when obviously something important was going on, but a trigger in Inuyasha's voice convinced him otherwise and he nodded. "Please bring my sister home," he said softly before turning and heading back toward the temple.

It wasn't until Sota had rounded the corner and disappeared that Inuyasha released his breath in a low growl. From the moment they had arrived, the stench of miasma had been unmistakable, but it lacked the vile tag of belonging to Naraku. He could feel his heart rate start to rise. Who else had any reason to attack a school? Had some other demon become aware of the presence of the jewel shards when Kagome brought them back? If this was the case, their strategy was going to have to be reevaluated quickly. Dealing with Naraku in one time period was hard enough, but it would be impossible to front a defense in two different worlds at the same time. School or not, Kagome had to come back with him now.

She had been here recently, he was certain, but Sota was right that she wasn't here anymore. He had caught her scent when they had arrived traveling away from this place accompanied by someone unfamiliar to him. She was unharmed, somehow he was sure of this, but there was no telling how long this would last. As he took off running down the road, Inuyasha was acutely aware that time was short, but also consumed with a surge of rage. Whoever was responsible for the school was undeniably powerful, but there was no doubt within every fiber of his being that if Kagome was harmed in any way when he found her that someone was going to die.


	7. Desperate Search

_Thanks for everyone who patiently waited for the next part through all my finals, illness, weddings (not mine) and vacations (mine, and it was great!) Wow, it's been a busy last couple of weeks! I'm hoping now that summer's here, I'll have a lot more time to get stuff down, and since I finally had an moment of Inuyasha enlightenment of how all this is going to turn out, there is an end in sight. (For all those faint of heart, it'll all turn out good in the end, don't worry!) So keep reading, and keep reviewing! _

If there were any arguments for choosing the present day over the Feudal Era, ice cream, Kagome decided, would probably be a major plus for the present day. Something about the smooth cool texture hovering between solid and liquid in her mouth always brought about a giddiness and ease of life's tensions. Feeling somewhat conscientious, Kagome tried extremely hard not to be completely childish and get it all over her face while she ate, but the warm afternoon sun made it a race to finish before it oozed its way all over everything. Fortunately, she noticed, Kanota was having some difficulty too, constantly chasing trailing drips of melted chocolate down the cone before it hit his hand, but seeming completely at ease as always. She wondered how he always managed to be so composed no matter what the situation, because she herself couldn't seem to settle her stomach no matter how good cookie dough ice cream covered in caramel and whipped cream with a cherry on top tasted.

In fact, Kanota had been nothing but charming from the moment they had left the school, keeping her mind occupied away from her nerves with small talk chatter and jokes that Kagome was more than happy to focus her attention. Listening to him talk, it was hard to remember that he had just joined their class only a few weeks ago, but obviously her classmates had accepted and integrated him into their social standings right away. It wasn't surprising. Kanota was funny and articulate, smart without making it nerdishly obvious, and pulled off a combination of attractiveness without effort that Kagome was sure she was not the only one who had noticed. But he had done his homework too, taking time to get to know a little bit about all the students who had offered their acquaintance. He had a quick grasp of names and tidbits of information about people, which he was able to recall as if he had grown up with each of them. Kagome remembered him saying that he had moved around a lot with his family. She wondered if he had been as popular in his old schools as he seemed to have grown at hers.

She turned her head to see his almost trademark casual gaze focused in her direction and felt her cheeks go red again. "I've been wondering about something for a while," he announced between bites of waffle cone.

"Huh?" Kagome raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What's that?"

"You don't seem like a sickly kind of girl. What illness do you have that made you miss so much school?"

Kagome froze mid lick and tried not to choke loudly. "Well, it was more like an unlucky string of things…" she said quickly with a nervous laugh, trying desperately to buy time to think some more. "Cold and flu stuff mostly, but my grandpa likes to exaggerate so some people got the wrong idea."

"Really? How serious did he get?"

"Well, I did have tuberculosis for a while, but nothing too much more serious than that," she replied with a kidding smile. "I guess I probably should have gone to school a little more than I did, but my grandpa, he's a little overprotective." Phew. Good save, and kept him from thinking she was a total cancer victim or something without having to mention anything about demons or jewel shards. "So what about you?" she redirected quickly. "What's your family like?"

"My mom died when I was pretty young so I really don't remember her much. My dad is a CEO of a fast growing company, so he's gone a lot on business. I have an older sister who watches the rest of us while he's gone."

"So why the need to move around so much, since your father's always gone anyways?"

"It's just his way I guess. We don't ask questions. I guess he just likes to keep us close, just in case." Kanota's expression went blank for the briefest of seconds, but it didn't go unnoticed by Kagome. But just as soon as the change registered in her mind Kanota's laid back demeanor was back in control again and he smiled. "I haven't minded it so much this time. This has been one of the nicer places we've lived."

"Well, you haven't seemed to have any trouble fitting in," Kagome remarked.

"Everyone here has been extremely accommodating," he said with a smile that Kagome couldn't quite read but sent a small tremor to her stomach. "By the way Kagome, I was wondering if I could ask you to do me a favor."

"A favor?" This was unexpected. "If there's something I can do to help…

"I imagine it's a long shot, it coming so soon and all, but everyone keeps talking about this dance coming up next week. I thought I'd take my chances and see if anyone had asked you yet."

It was as if time froze for a moment. At first Kagome could just stare and try to keep her mouth from falling open. The faces of Yuki, Eri, and Ayumi flashed in her mind, grinning like idiots just like they probably would when word of this got to them. She swore revenge on each one of them personally as soon as she figured out how they had managed to arrange it. Still, their constant excited chatter and invasive matchmaking schemes had gotten her somewhat excited about the whole idea of going to a school dance. Before she had become a time-traveling jewel hunter, she had fantasized for hours with her friends about attending a formal dance, and while it didn't quite have the same appeal now after all she had been through, there was no reason not to have some normal teenage experiences in her life too. Especially if the boy actually wanted to go too.

"Of course, I understand if you're already going with someone," Kanota was saying when Kagome interrupted.

"Actually, I'd be happy to go with you," she replied softly.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Inuyasha was navigating as quickly as he could through the complicated city streets while trying not to lose Kagome's scent amongst the bombardment of information hitting his nose with every breath. He was close, that he was sure of, but the anxious wrenching still plagued his stomach, something that he had long ago decided would probably not stop until he found her, so he pushed on. With every corner he turned in order to find nothing, his frustration mounted. He'd rescued Kagome countless times before. Honestly, he should be considered a master at it by this time, since she couldn't seem to keep herself out of trouble. But never had he felt so desperate to find her, and it aggravated him to no end. This would not be so difficult in the Feudal Era, that was for sure. He needed to hurry up and find Kagome and bring her back where she belonged so he wouldn't be wasting his time with this hide-and-seek business anymore.

But this is her time. This is where she belongs.

The thought hit him and caused a moment of dread. Of course she belonged with them. No one ever questioned that fact since the moment she had arrived or even during all their traveling. Sure, there had been comments about her strange clothes and all, but it was Kagome who insisted on wearing them all the time. If she didn't care that people thought she was weird then why should he care what she wore. She was going to go back to the Feudal Era and finish getting the jewel shards with him just like she said she would. Then maybe they could get on with life without him having to go rescue her five hundred years away from what he was doing.

Abruptly the wind changed, shifting the trail that he had been following and causing him to loose his track. He cursed and stopped, searching the area around him to try to recapture the scent, but he soon discovered just how complicated Kagome's world could get. The smells came from all sides, heavy, thick and pungent, filling his head with information about everything but his target. Chalking up another peg in the list of reasons to hate Kagome's time, Inuyasha stopped to try to regroup himself, pointing his nose upward and sniffing rapidly in hope of catching any sign of her. When nothing came, he cursed, clenching his fists tighter, and took off down the street again, figuring it was better to keep moving than just standing there doing nothing.

So she'll help you find the jewel shards. But what about after that? What's going to happen when there are no more jewel shards to find?

His mouth curled up to a snarl as he ran. Damn voices in his head were getting on his nerves. Why was he worrying about things that weren't pertinent to what was going on now? His only concern at the moment should be finding Kagome and destroying whatever it was that was constantly interrupting his concentration by putting her in danger. Because if there was one thing that he was certain about, it was that somehow she was still in danger, and obviously incapable of getting herself out of it.

She needed him.

He decided to take his search to the rooftops for a better view, and with a quick hop he was skipping from building to building while scanning the streets below. While the visual advantage was much greater from here, the long shadows from the sun going lower in the sky was making it harder to hone in on the details below. Switching senses, he tested the air again for any sign of her, directing all his energy and focus towards finding any hint of Kagome's presence in the air, but the massive congestion of people and objects made it difficult to pull any single scent out of the cluster. Frustrated, Inuyasha stopped abruptly at the edge of the building and closed his eyes.

"Concentrate. She has to be out there somewhere."

Drawing up on everything he knew in his subconscious to be Kagome, he tried one more time to lock on to any trace of his lost companion. "Kagome, where are you?" he mentally called out in desperation, and suddenly as if to answer, his nose twitched to the familiar scent of jasmine and honey he recognized as the prissy soap she used to clean her hair floating in the breeze. She was there. He found her. His feet moved instantaneously in response, nose twitching continuously to ensure he wouldn't lose track again. Rapidly he skimmed from each rooftop in her direction, his resolve mounting to get to her. The scent was strong. She was so close and yet…

Inuyasha stopped short at the edge of the next roof and froze. Hanging lightly on the breeze tangled with Kagome's scent was something else, something somehow familiar but just out of his recollection, as if someone had taken something recognizable and altered it slightly but just enough to remove its memorable quality. But it seemed wrong, unnatural. And he didn't have to search long to attach it to someone.

Down on the street just across from where he sat perched on the building was Kagome who seemed to be just finishing eating a small brown cylindrical cake and licking her fingers in delight, but suddenly he wasn't quite as intent upon her as he had been just minutes before. Inuyaha's focus sat completely upon the person standing next to her, someone he didn't recognize as one of Kagome's friends, and someone he already didn't like at all. He growled softly. Who was this guy, and what was he doing with Kagome? It was at that moment that another panic wave hit Inuyasha, and suddenly another thought crossed through his mind. Kagome was here, laughing and walking down the street with someone he'd never seen before. Everything seemed normal for Kagome's world. She was safe. So why wasn't the feeling of danger going away?

It was at that moment that Inuyasha looked down to see a white haired boy lean in close to whisper something softly in Kagome's ear before sliding her chin around to meet his lips with hers.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kagome wasn't quite sure what had happened after she had finished her ice cream, but she was still slightly dizzy as a result. Kanota had left her to walk the rest of the way home by herself, apologizing for not being able to go with her like a gentleman. She remembered him looking slightly unnerved after asking what time it was, explaining they had spent a little too much time at the ice cream parlor and his father strictly enforced curfews on school days, something he had also assured her wouldn't be a problem the night of the dance. But it was the part after that that had left Kagome speechless.

The pair had reached the point in their path to separate, and Kagome had just finished thanking him again for the ice cream when Kanota's tone got a bit quieter. "Kagome, can I ask you for one more thing?"

"Sure," she replied. "What is it?"

"I'd like to take you out again, before the dance. Maybe Sunday for lunch if you don't have too much work to do."

She wanted to, she really did, but her prior plans sat forefront in her mind. "I'm sorry, I have to go away this weekend and I won't be back until Sunday evening."

Kanota nodded in understanding. "You're probably pretty popular. I'm lucky to have gotten this time with you."

Again for a moment, Kanota had looked startled, his smile flattening for the first time and his demeanor slightly more cautious and his attention not quite fully there. She hoped she hadn't upset him. "Wait," Kagome said quickly, not wanting to discourage him, "would you maybe want to meet for lunch at school? I know it's not quite the same, but …" She flashed him a small hopeful smile.

"I'd like that," he smiled back, his mannerisms back to normal again, and then he had leaned in close to her. "Because I really like spending time with you," she heard him whisper before she suddenly found herself being warmly kissed and about a million tingly pins flashing all over her body. "What's he doing?" she wondered dumbfounded. "Kanota couldn't possibly like me! He's way too cool and sophisticated!" But the moment seemed to prove otherwise as she felt Kanota brush the hair away from her face and backed away slightly, his clear blue eyes drilling straight into hers. "I was hoping you felt the same."

Dumbfounded, Kagome nodded, not quite knowing how to formulate words at the current moment, and watched Kanota smile grow. He was right. She did like spending time with him. He was funny, smart, had great anecdotes from many of the different schools he attended, and she had not once been insulted or called any names the whole time. Unlike most of the time with Inuyashya she thought with a frown. It was nice spending a day out and not ending up in an argument or molested in some way when hanging out with a boy. Still, the thought of Inuyasha lingered behind in the back of her mind, and something in her seemed to sense that he was close by. But that was impossible. Inuyasha was in the Feudal Era with everyone else looking for Kikiyo. He wouldn't have any reason to be here.

She and Kanota had parted soon after that, but Kagome's mind was still running non-stop. The dance was already next weekend, and she had no dress, no shoes, had to figure out what to do with her hair…the list went on. When was she going to have time to do all this, especially since she was planning on being away from anything even mildly resembling a mall for the entire weekend? Maybe her mother could do some shopping for her. She always seemed to get excited when Kagome decided to do things in the present. Kagome smiled. It was going to be fun getting all dressed up and having dinner out, and she would get to spend the entire evening with Kanota too. Already she could feel her stomach fill with wonderfully nervous spasms. Suddenly the present day wasn't seeming so boring after all.

The sun was continuing to creep lower in the sky, and a crisp breeze was beginning to cut through the warm air as she walked towards the Higureshi temple, reminding her that she needed to get going if she wanted to get to Kaete's village before sunset. Smiling and humming to herself, she picked up her pace, thinking about her friends and what they might be doing right now. Had they found Kikiyo yet? It had been three weeks. Inuyasha and the others had to have located her by now. What had they been doing for all this time? "I guess I'll find out soon," she thought happily. "Someone at Kaete's village will have some news for me."

It seemed as soon as she started thinking about them, the flash hit again, and Kagome stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "That feeling again, just like before when I was with Kanota." She shook her head, trying to regroup. "I can feel him. Inuyasha. He's here, close. But…how? How do I know this? I've never sensed anything like this before."

As if it was responding to her thoughts as well, the breeze shifted, blowing from behind like gentle fingers lifting her head upward, and suddenly she understood the triggers that had been firing within her all afternoon as she instantly identified the shock of red cloth against the pink and white of the cherry blossoms. She froze, eyes wide in amazement, not sure what it all meant, and not sure what to do. "What's going on? He looks so serious. Did something happen?" For what seemed like an eternity Inuyasha wouldn't move, his golden eyes transfixed on her like he was also trying to figure out what to do. Then, slowly, Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the trunk of the tree, eyes narrowed and still locked on her. She could feel his anger pounding against her in waves, making her knees tremble slightly despite her confidence that he would never harm her, but there was something else she could sense from somewhere deep within him, something that made her heart want to break.

"Inuyasha," she managed weakly. "What…what are you doing here?"

At first she wasn't sure he was going to answer, not sure that he could by the way she was feeling, but Inuyasha finally broke his stare and turned his head away to look towards where the sun was just beginning to disappear beyond the horizon. When he spoke, his voice was soft, barely audible, but Kagome could undeniably discern the malice that his words carried with them.

"I thought you said you were here to finish some stupid test," he said slowly, "but I guess you've really got other things on your mind."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

A few miles away Kanota was contemplating this new turn of events. The hanyou's ability to cross the time barrier was troublesome, and his ignorance of this fact had almost exposed him had he not noticed his presence in time and for his quick thinking to alter his scent before he was identified. It had not been his intention to allow his existence to be exposed to anyone from the Feudal Era, but now he was beginning to rethink his original strategy. In fact, if his assumptions were correct, the half-breed was probably doing most of his job for him right now without even realizing it after the scene he witnessed. This could definitely be used to his advantage. With a smug smile, Kanota continued on, content that everything was progressing even better than he had expected.

_I've always wanted Inuyasha to have a taste of his own medicine for all the times Kagome's endured walking in on him and Kikiyo. So just how is he going to take this new bit of news? You'll have to find out next time, true believers! Just send all rants and raves my way!_


	8. Talking with Girls

"Inu…Inuyasha?"

He wouldn't look at her, simply remained staring at the lingering sunset as Kagome stood frozen on the sidewalk unable to think of anything more to say than that. It was somewhat surreal, Kagome thought in bewilderment. Three weeks they had been separated, every day she spent wondering if he was okay, what he was doing, if he had found who he was looking for. Every day she wished that he would come see her, tell her that they had found Kikiyo and learned the secret to the Shikon, or even just to say hi and that they were thinking about her. Every day she battled the urge to head towards the well after school instead of cram school classes. Every night she struggled to stay awake just a little bit longer in case he popped through her window by surprise. Every day she had waited, reminding herself that every day was one step closer to finishing her classes and the freedom to go back to her friends. And of all the times he could choose to come back, this particular moment, the one moment that she herself was just as dumbfounded about as he was, was the moment he decided to make his appearance.

There was no question that he was angry. She could practically feel his muscles tensed, trying hard not to shake and reveal his emotions to her, but to no avail. She knew him too well, knew his thoughts and reactions, knew his behavior during the times when Kouga would hang around for too long. But he was different this time. There was something else mixed in. A chill twitched down her spine, one she hadn't felt since the last time she saw him in true demon form. It warned her of what she already knew: he was dangerous.

When he spoke again, his voice was dark and exact. "I would have expected this from Miroku, not you."

"Wait! It's nothing like that!" she exclaimed quickly in a weak high pitched voice.

"Really?" His head snapped around towards her again, his mouth tight. "And just what did you want to call that little display?"

"But I had no idea…I didn't know…" Kagome wanted to cry, but strangely it seemed like her mind and body were out of synch. Instead she found her fists clenching and starting to shake as an uncomfortable heat began to spread throughout her body, building within her until her original emotions were completely overrun by a strong urge to hit something. She looked back up at Inuyasha whose claws were sunk about a half inch into the tree branch. "What are you doing here anyway?" she asked flatly.

He hesitated for a split second, momentarily flustered. "What difference does it make? Obviously I shouldn't have wasted my time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she shot back with a little more spite than she intended.

Inuyasha was quick to fire back. "You were certainly happy enough getting extra friendly with Mr. Wonderful back there."

"What!"

"You heard me." He released the branch to fold his arms across his chest. "Sit there and cry about some stupid test so you can come here and screw around with some scrawny weakling."

Kagome could feel her irritation rapidly spreading. Who did he think he was showing up unannounced and pointing fingers at her for that after all the times she had stumbled upon him and Kikiyo in their own private moments and not said a word? Not once had she ever demanded that he explain himself when she found them together. When he slipped off on his nighttime trysts the last few weeks she had been with them, she had always tried her best not to think about it and just let him be. Even her last day in the Feudal Era when Inuyasha had announced his need to find Kikiyo no matter what, she had quietly accepted it without a word of protest. Maybe she had finally accepted that she would always be second to the priestess in Inuyasha's mind despite everything they had been through together, and that was why she had been able to come be in the present for so long without unconsciously jumping down the well and back to the past. But none of that gave him the right to jump on her for being the focus of another guy's attention. It was convenient enough with Kouga since it got the wolf demon off her back when he was getting a little too possessive, but if Inuyasha really wanted to be with Kikiyo he shouldn't expect her to hang around until Kikiyo got over her hang-ups of the past. Reincarnation of the woman or not, she deserved a little happiness in her life too.

"Why should you care anyways? I thought finding Kikiyo was your top priority," she said, her annoyance clear in her tone.

That hit a nerve, and he seemed to waver a bit. "We have to find Kikiyo to have any chance of putting the jewel shards back together. I thought that was clear."

"So then, have you found her? Is that what you're here to tell me?"

He snarled. "You don't have to be such a bitch about it."

"Excuse me?" she shot back instantly, her anger escalating with each passing minute.

Inuyasha's temper was also on the rise. "You told me you were coming back here to go to some stupid school so you could take some stupid test, and I come here and find you flirting with some questionable wuss."

"Just because I'm back here to study doesn't mean I have to be doing it every waking moment. Besides, for your information, he was flirting with me."

"What difference does it make?" He crossed his arms across his chest and raised his nose towards the sky, exacerbating Kagome even more. But there was a muted undertone to his angry ranting that made Kagome's eye twitch in distrust. She was growing more and more convinced that he was hiding something from her, and it only added to the fire.

"Look, did you find her or not?" she shouted up at him, her patience teetering on a thin line. His silence answered her question completely, not to mention the fact that he had quickly turned his head the other way with a huff. "Then what are you doing here?"

"Obviously wasting my time," he muttered just loud enough to assure Kagome would hear him, turning his head back to stare right at her this time. His eyes flashed, daring her to say what he knew was just inches away from slipping through her lips as if he didn't care.

Kagome had reached her limit, now absolutely seething and struggling to maintain control. She too was shaking, her fists clenched at her side and her eyes sparking with anger. "That's it! I'm done with this, and I'm done with you! Come back when you're ready to talk to me like a civilized person and not flying off the handle for no reason whatsoever." She started to walk down the street again slowly, concentrating on each step to distract her attention away from Inuyasha back in the tree. Unfortunately Inuyasha wasn't done.

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes at her back as she started walking down the road again. "Go run back to your stupid boyfriend. It's not like we need you anyways."

She heard him and froze, feeling the tears pricking her eyes but refusing to let him see it. Her voice was quiet, low, and filled with malice. She had never sounded so furiously intent to crush his face into the ground.

"Inuyasha…SIT!"

It was the only thing she said before running down the road towards the temple and not looking back, a fortitude of black thoughts storming through her head all focused towards the dog demon who she left laying moaning in a six foot hole of his own creation. She hoped it took him a long time to get back up again.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Shippou's fox instincts sensed danger well before Inuyasha arrived back at Kaete's village, and it took him about three seconds before he made himself scarce. Even Kilala looked up from where he was sleeping and instantly relocated somewhere away from the approaching melee. Sango and Miroku weren't so lucky. The remaining humans were killing time waiting for their teammates to return by assisting some of the villagers bandage their wounds after another random demon attack when they saw the hanyou approach from the direction of the well. But something was strange.

"Hey Inuyasha," Miroku smiled at him. "Where's Kagome? I thought you were going to find her?"

Inuyasha didn't have to say anything. The eye daggers he shot at the monk were enough to shut him up instantly as he stomped straight past them and out the other side of the village, never so much as uttering a word. Miroku sighed in relief, grateful to still be in one piece, then exchanged an exasperated look with Sango.

"You think they got in a fight again?" Sango shook her head, not really asking."I'd say that's a safe bet," Miroku groaned. "Weird since he was acting so concerned before he left. I wonder what could have happened."

"Well if he's going to keep acting like this we'll never get anything accomplished," Sango spit out angrily. "This search for Kikiyo is already going nowhere. What if Naraku already has her and we're running around for nothing? Kohaku could already be…"

Miroku wasn't prepared to deal with two upset teammates and quickly jumped to do what he could to prevent it. "Don't worry. No matter what Kagome still has a shard, and if nothing else, Naraku doesn't seem to find Kohaku expendable. I'm sure as long as there are pieces out of his possession, he'll leave Kohaku alone."

It settled her a little bit, but Sango still didn't seem satisfied. "Still, one of us needs to do something. This behavior is getting out of hand!" She folded her arms across her chest and gave Miroku a hard stare.

"Er, Sango, I…" Based on Inuyasha's earlier reaction, Miroku was pretty sure he wanted to be nowhere near the dog demon right at this particular moment. His instincts were further reinforced as Shippou emerged from his hiding place with a worried look on his face.

"Was that Inuyasha that came through here? It was scary! I don't think he's ever been this mad before! I don't know about you guys, but I'm staying far away from him until he calms down!"

Miroku flashed Sango a nervous smile and nodded vigorously, looking for a way out of what he was convinced was a poor choice of ways to spend an evening. Sango did not seem impressed.

"Honestly, you two are pathetic," she announced, rolling her eyes. "What's going to happen when a real crisis comes along?" And with a look of firey disapproval thrown towards the other two, Sango took off in the direction Inuyasha had stomped through moments before. Shippou and Miroku stood frozen, watching her as she went.

"I thought Inuyasha was scary," Shippou announced in a shaky voice, "but Sango might be worse."

Miroku sighed and nodded. "You obviously have never crossed the true wrath of a woman before. We should probably go and wait for everyone inside Kaete's hut where it's safe," he said matter of factly, as if it didn't concern him that Sango had just snubbed him.

Shippou blinked a couple of times, not quite understanding everything, but pretty sure that Miroku's option really was safer for the time being. But as he trailed nervously, he turned to look toward where Sango had just followed Inuyasha. It was strange, but for some strange reason he suddenly found himself a little less frightened of the demon and slightly more in awe of a human than he had ever felt before.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

By the time Sango caught up to Inuyasha it was obvious that his mood had cooled somewhat, much to her relief. After her little outburst towards the other two pride wouldn't let her back down from having a little talk with Inuyasha, but as she was out searching for him she quickly realized that she didn't have the first clue as to how to approach this particular demon when he was fired up like this. Before, Kagome had always been the one to calm him down, and the rest of the group had always been silently thankful to be free of that headache. Thinking back, no one had really stepped up to the task over the last few weeks either, probably accounting for the frequent eruptions and constant disappearances they continued to endure. And now her big mouth had forced her straight into the volcano.

"Kagome's so much better at this than I am," she sighed to herself. "It's hard enough keeping Miroku in check, and he doesn't have a lethal temper."

Still, being a demon hunter, she had to be prepared for all situations involving demons, including those that didn't involve battle. With an air of caution she softly made her way down the slope to where Inuyasha was now sitting and sat down a short distance from him. He grunted under his breath, acknowledging her presence without looking directly at her, but didn't make a move to go anywhere. She took it as a good sign. In front of them the sun was stretching its final rays over the rice fields in preparation for its nightly rest, and a single star was just visible over the horizon. Sango prayed the tranquil setting would be an asset in keeping the hanyou's temper down.

After a few minutes of silence, Sango decided to make the first move. Delicately she cleared her throat. "Inuyasha?"

"Are you still here?" he grumbled softly, his tone not matching his intention.

"I was…we were all worried about you. You really haven't been yourself lately."

"Humph. Yeah, so?"

Obviously this was going nowhere. Sango tried a different approach. "So did you find Kagome? How is she?"

His body tensed instantly, and Sango could see his face darken just a bit more. "She seems to be keeping herself plenty busy," he replied viciously, sending a slight tremor down her spine. Something in her subconscious told her that pursuing the subject was probably not the most intelligent of choices, but she was also fairly certain that their absent teammate was at the root of this current problem.

"Was she okay? You ran off so fast, and it seemed like you thought she was in some sort of danger."

She didn't think his expression could get any worse, but it suddenly took on a sour look on top of the dark overtone. "Oh, she's just grand," he spat. "Couldn't be better."

Sango eyed him questioningly, not sure what to think about his words. "Really? So she was okay? Nothing was wrong?"

"I wouldn't quite say that," Inuyasha muttered angrily just beyond Sango's hearing, but the slayer's perceptions were keen. She was on the right track.

"She must have been happy to see you," she continued innocently. "She's been gone for quite a while now." Sango by now was starting to piece together an image of what was going on, and she decided to bait him for more information. "We all thought you would stay longer, or maybe Kagome would come back to see us for a little bit after you found her."

When he spoke it was soft and full of malice. "I'd say she was too preoccupied with her new boyfriend to spare us any of her precious time." He let off a small laugh. "I'll bet Kouga is just going to shit himself when he hears about this."

Sango froze. This was certainly information she was not prepared for, and she found herself completely at a loss as to what to say next. It didn't seem right. Kagome wouldn't lie to them about school just to go back home to see a boy. Not after how upset she had seemed about having to leave. Not with how she obviously felt about Inuyasha. But then again, Kagome had been unusually subdued when Inuyasha ranted about Kikiyo lately. Maybe she had finally gotten tired of being pushed to second place whenever the priestess was involved. After all, Kagome may have the patience of a saint when it came to the dog demon, but everyone had to have a breaking point sometime, and in Sango's opinion Kagome had far exceeded anyone's expectations of where that point should be.

But what surprised Sango even more was seeing Inuyasha's pained expression when she looked back over towards him. She couldn't remember ever seeing Inuyasha look so vulnerable. His eyes expressed a mixture of uncertainty, fear, and sorrow that looked as though it came from somewhere in the depths of his soul, like he was searching for something important that was just out of reach. And then, for a moment her mind went blank. It was as if she was caught in the middle of something beyond her comprehension, an ancient and intense power that radiated from within Inuyasha that originated somewhere outside of his control. She watched Inuyasha's face go blank for a second while at the same time getting a faint but very noticeable feeling in the pit of her stomach. There was no doubt that the source of the feeling was Inuyasha, but she had no explanation as to how she knew this either. She felt her hands starting to shake slightly, and found herself inching backwards, trying to get it to stop so she could think clearly again. And then, as quickly as it started it was gone again, leaving her wondering if she had felt anything at all.

When she looked up again she found him looking at her. "Did you feel that too?" he asked softly.

"For a second," she said softly, unsure of what she had just experienced. "Like for some reason Kagome was in danger."

"It's been hitting me like that ever since she left. I kept ignoring it, but then it got so overpowering that I just had to go back to make sure something really wasn't wrong." His face soured again. "And then I get there and all she's doing is kissing some boy. Don't know why I wasted my goddamm time."

Sango was still dazed from her shared experience, but not enough to miss the fact that Inuyasha's tone didn't quite match his words. She frowned. After spending the last three weeks on a nonstop obsessive search for Kikiyo, it seemed a little inappropriate for Inuyasha to suddenly fixate himself on the fact that Kagome was getting some attention from some other boy. She had figured that Kagome had moved on too finally with her decision to go home in the middle of all of this. But why the feeling of danger? Was there something more going on?

"Inuyasha," she said softly, "you obviously care a lot about Kagome, so why don't you just tell her how you feel?"

He tried to hide his reaction, which came out something like a hiccup in the middle of a deep breath. "Why don't you tell the monk you'll have his children?" he shot back, obviously not pleased with the direction of the conversation all of a sudden.

Sango's cheeks pinked up in the darkness, not prepared for his snide retort. Still, she supposed he had a point, and she tried to think of the situation from that perspective. "It's strange," she said after a minute. "When you think about it, we're more alike than you might think. When I was growing up in the demon hunter's village, there weren't a whole lot of children other than Kohaku and I. Even though we played with each other, since the grownups were so focused on training, that's what we wanted to do too. We were supposed to be demon hunters, so I devoted everything I had in me to learning the skills and techniques to survive on the hunt. It was hard, but it was all I knew, and I loved it."

Inuyasha certainly didn't appear riveted by her sudden outpouring about her childhood. "Yeah, so what's your point?"

Sango remained unaffected. She stared out towards the night sky where by this time the sun was beyond the horizon and a few stars were starting to make an appearance in the deep rose sky. "My mother died when Kohaku was still a baby," she continued, "so I never really knew her that well. Many of the other women of the village were sent away soon after when the demons started attacking our village more frequently. I didn't think about it at the time, since it was just my father, Kohaku, and I. We were able to stay together as a family, and that was what mattered. I stayed and trained in our village until I was old enough to go out with the other hunters on assignments. I knew that our village was different from most, but sometimes when we would travel to other villages on assignment I would see other girls who were a little older and just how different they were from me. They were always so giggly and concerned with their hair and trying to get away with wearing makeup when they thought their mothers weren't looking. I used to wonder what their obsession was with staying so ridiculously clean and proper all the time. But what really baffled me was why they would go from acting normal to acting like complete idiots when they were around boys. I remember going home praying that I didn't lose my mind when I got to be their age.

"Then there was one time I remember we were in a village where we had fought off a giant snake demon. It was the first time I had been allowed to be the one to make the final kill, and I was thrilled, especially since the entire village had been out watching us do our job. We were finishing up with the headman and collecting our payment when I noticed there was a group of girls who were pointing and laughing at me from over in a corner. I stomped over and demanded to know what was so funny, and they just laughed even more. The madder I got, the more they laughed. Finally when I turned around to leave, I heard one of them say to another that I would never attract boys as long as I dressed like a boy. Then another one said that it didn't matter since my hair was a total disgrace as well, which for some reason threw them into another fit of giggles. I was so upset that I stomped out of the house and waited out by the gate until my father finished his with the headman and we could go home.

"That night I told my father about what the girls said, and I told him how upset it had made me, but I didn't understand why. I mean, what difference did it make if boys looked at me or not? I had just killed the demon that had terrorized their village for months, and all they could say was that my hair was ugly and I wore boy's clothes. My father just smiled at me when I was done ranting and told me that the only reason that no boys were looking at me was because he had personally made it clear that anyone who did would suffer his own personal brand of punishment. Then he laughed too. When I got mad and asked him why he was laughing about that, he told me that soon enough I would wish that he would start punishing the boys that were bothering me, and that right now I should just focus on my training and stop worrying about stupid girl talk."

Inuyasha grunted, but it didn't have its normal effort behind it. "So what, you want me to help you out and dish out some punishment on Miroku's ass?"

Sango smiled. "Thanks, but I think I can handle that on my own. But you've just made my point for me. You and I, we grew up warriors from the very beginning. We haven't known anything different, which means we're not like everyone else. When boys started paying attention to me I didn't have any idea why, and I didn't have a mother to explain to me what was really going on. I assume that you started working through your questions about girls through your relationship with Kikiyo. But in both our cases, by the time we needed someone to ask our questions to, we were alone with no one we could trust with something personal like that."

He seemed a little surprised, as if seeing Sango in a new light suddenly, but there was still an air of skepticism in his voice. "Sorry Sango, it's great that you feel you can talk to me and all, but I try to keep my personal business to myself."

"I didn't expect you to really," Sango said, not at all disappointed, "but I do have one more thing to add." She stopped and caught his eyes, visually relaying the seriousness behind what she was about to say. "I think you're wrong about Kagome. Whatever you saw was somehow not what it seemed to be. I know this because unless you can suddenly broadcast figments of your imagination to affect other people's emotions, whatever you're feeling about Kagome being in danger has to be real because I could feel it too." She paused, as if carefully choosing her words for what she was about to say next. "And if you believe me about that, then maybe you should think about this as well. I think you should reexamine whatever it is that's telling you we need to find Kikiyo as well. Because I have no doubt that there's a reason behind this search, but I'm also really getting the impression that Kikiyo doesn't necessarily want to be found.

She wasn't looking for a response, nor did he surprise her with one. Silently Sango got up and started to walk back up the hill towards the village, leaving Inuyasha alone to consider her suggestion. But about five steps from the top, she turned around one last time. "Inuyasha," she called, "if you do get that feeling again, Kagome won't get mad if you come to see if she's okay. In fact, I think she'll be happy to see you again."

"What makes you say that?" He tried to sound indifferent, but the curiosity was there. Sango caught it and smiled as she once again started towards home.

"Because if it was Miroku, I would want him to come for me too."


	9. What Was Unclear

_Thanks to everyone who's been patiently awaiting next installments. It would have come out much faster had I not written most of it in a notebook while camping, then had to transfer and edit it all on the computer. (Hey, maybe someday when I'm famous those hard copies may be worth something more than a laugh at my raw ideas) Anyways, I fantasize. Submitted for approval of all Inuyasha fans everywhere..._

_I should also restate that while I wish I owned all the Inuyasha characters, alas, I do not and use them only with the greatest of respect for those who do. But Kanota, bastard that he is, is mine. I guess that's something to be proud of._

Kagome sat rather stunned at the reflection of herself and wondered again how she had made it to this point at all after all that had happened. The week's activity had been playing in a continuous loop in her mind, added to bit by bit as events had transpired. But no matter how much she tried to avoid thinking about it, her mind always returned to the point when she had seen Inuyasha again, and the fight between them had ensued, along with all the anger and adrenaline that had gripped them both during the whole ordeal. And always accompanying that memory came the memory of that evening and the gripping sadness that had possessed her for the rest of the night.

"How could this all have happened?" she wondered every time the scene passed through her mind. "Why right then? It would have been better if I could have told him myself. Not that he needed to know anything at all, it's really none of his business." But despite her mind's arguments, she was never quite able to convince herself to believe it, and now the fear that gripped her even more was that after all this Inuyasha wouldn't ever come for her again. She could just see him stewing in his anger for the rest of the time she was stuck finishing cram school, which incidentally was going to be a total waste of her time since the thought of having to concentrate on algebra and European history now was a complete joke. That first night she had laid in bed wide-awake brewing over that afternoon and everything that had happened during it. Because even more surprising than Inuyasha's appearance, which she had been eagerly hoping for since her return from the Feudal Era, had been Kanota's confession and subsequent kiss which still sent a faint but pleasant chill down her spine as she thought about it.

Kagome still wasn't totally convinced that Kanota hadn't been stricken temporarily insane by some kind of mega cosmic flair, but his affections towards her did seem to be genuine. Since that afternoon, Kanota had made it a point to do something special for her every day, from showing up at the shrine to help her study, to bringing lunch to her at school, to leaving a flower on her desk one day before class. As usual for her school, word had spread through her classmates about the two of them becoming a couple before she had even made it to class Monday morning, and for some reason as a side note, it seemed to make people want to be around her more than before. Eri, Yuki, and Ayumi were especially quick to approve.

"He's so much more sophisticated than your last boyfriend," Eri had gushed.

"Not to mention extremely cute AND popular," Yuki nodded eagerly. "Your popularity has skyrocketed in just the last two days. Do you know how many girls are wishing you would suddenly relapse with whatever was making you miss so much school before?"

Kagome had shifted uncomfortably, but a small smile still seemed to find its way to her face. Kanota's attention had by no means been a bad thing, in fact it was really quite nice to be the object of someone's affection for a change, with the added bonus that the boy in question didn't happen to be a letch. And she was coming to find that she really did enjoy his company. It was pretty obvious why he had gained popularity so fast. His relaxed nature never seemed to be disturbed by anything. No matter who approached him, he always seemed to have time to spend and some common ground to discuss, and was happy to do so. Above everything, he had been a perfect distraction this week. In fact, the only times she seemed to be able not to think about Inuyasha were the times she spent with Kanota.

Since he had asked pretty much at the last minute, trying to get everything ready to go to the dance had been slightly frantic and rushed, but her mother had come through for her, having happened to spot a suitable dress at the local trade store just the day before. At first glance when her mother had brought it home, Kagome had been certain from the slender cut and low neckline that she wasn't going to be able to breathe while wearing it, much less dance or do anything else for that matter. But her mother had assured her that it was quite fashionable in America and that she could make some quick alterations if necessary, so while silently cursing American taste in formalwear, Kagome had tried it on. It was an instant relief to discover that not only did it rest comfortably against her body, but it also wasn't quite as scandalously revealing as she had first anticipated. The deep red satin layers piled thinly on top of each other for the length of her torso, then separated to flow out in many individual layers around her legs, creating a multi-leveled petal effect around her lower body, ending just above her ankles. On the outermost layer, delicate beadwork had been done to arrange small pearl-like beads into a flowering vine design that wrapped itself around her torso and back around again to end in front as the dress sat at rest. To complete the detailing, the straps were made of three strands of the same beads, each one loose from the other so they could sit together as a group or separated as they may.

Kagome was now dressed and had just finished pulling her hair back in a thick bun secured with a pair of pearl white chopsticks with red ornamenting. Her mother had picked them out as well because of the small red ribbon that hung from the tops that was strung through two small pearls that swing against the knot of her hair as she examined herself. She had even pulled out the small bit of makeup that she owned and applied it to her eyes and lips, and now sat amazed at the fact that she couldn't seem to think of anything that was missing. In fact, it had come together almost too well.

"It's me, but it's not me," she thought towards her reflection, "but it's almost as if that's perfect for tonight somehow."

Her thoughts were interrupted by a quick knock at the door, and Kagome's mother peaked her head around it. "Honey, your friend just arrived to pick you up. Oh Kagome, you look just stunning!" She paused at the doorway to smile at her daughter.

Thanks Mom! I couldn't have done it without your help," she smiled back, turning away from the mirror. "Everything worked out perfectly." But Kagome's chatter caught in her throat as she noticed a strange expression suddenly cross her mother's face. For a moment she wavered, looking slightly pale and like she might pass out, then seemed to catch herself and shake out of it, although still a little stunned. "Mom, what is it?" she cried out, rising to her feet and watching her closely.

She was slow to respond, but still standing, and after a moment brought her gaze up to assure her daughter she was all right. "I'm fine, don't worry," she told her, but something in her eyes made Kagome question. Before she could ask anything further though, her mother began to speak again, as if she could knew the exact questions racing through her daughter's mind.

"You didn't get to know your grandmother very well. You were just a baby when she died. I never told you this, but she was the last official priestess to reside officially over this temple."

"Really?" Kagome was instantly intrigued, but curious as to why her mother was choosing this moment to tell her this.

"Her last official duty she performed as a priestess," her mother continued, "was assisting in your birth. I remember her best on that day. She was thrilled that I had chosen to have her perform the birth instead of going to the hospital. I had rebelled long before against the traditional temple lifestyle and learning priestess duties, but this was something I wanted to share with her. She was holding you just after you were born and had taken your very first breath. I was listening to you crying and giving thanks that you were healthy, when all of a sudden a sudden gust of wind rushed through the chamber. You went quiet for a minute, and I saw your grandmother go very still and a strange look cross her face. At first I was terrified that something was wrong with you, but then she handed you to me. You were cooing and wiggling and seemed perfect. I wondered what could have concerned your grandmother so much.

"Then she came over to where we were laying and placed a hand on each of us. I've never forgotten what she said at that moment. Her voice was so hardened and serious, and her facial expression was completely blank, as if she didn't know how she should feel about what she was saying. Without looking at either of us, she said, 'This child has a power that far exceeds the limitations of this world, and someday that power will be called upon in a time of crisis.' I was prepared to just brush it off as more of her temple ritualism, but at the same time when she was speaking, I could feel a warmth unlike any feeling I've felt before channeling through where her hand was placed on my shoulder. And somehow, without a doubt from the moment I first felt it, I knew that it was coming from you."

Kagome, who had sat listening intently through her mother's recollection, could now barely move. "Did my grandmother know what was going to happen to me? That the Shikon was inside me even back then?" she wondered silently.

"I'm not sure what I felt that day," her mother continued, "but I am sure that the feeling I felt was a power of good. It was so warm and pure, and while we were all connected through your grandmother's touch…" She broke off, and a wistful look seemed to pass over her. "You were so calm, and your grandmother seemed more at peace than I had ever seen her, as if a huge conflict had suddenly and amazingly been resolved. Even all my pain from giving birth was suddenly gone for that time and replaced with a comforting warmth."

She paused, lost in her memory for a moment, and Kagome slowly let out her breath after receiving all this lost family history. After all this time, after all her adventures in the past, after meeting Inuyasha and everything else that had happened since she first fell down the well, why had her mother never mentioned all this before? Even back when she and Sota were children and would laugh at their grandfather and all his silly charms and potions, why had she not said anything then, that he was in reality carrying on for her grandmother who really had watched over the people of the city just like Kaete did for her villagers. But as she looked up something still didn't seem right, and Kagome took a step towards her mother who almost at this point seemed to be fighting back tears. "But Mom, that's such a beautiful memory. So why do you look so sad?"

Her mother smiled, her eyes glistening. "You've always been so observant of people's emotions. You're right, there is something more. When your grandmother became ill, she made one more request of me. I was sitting with her in her room holding you on my lap, when she reached out and took you from me and held you next to her on the bed. I saw her reach up and slide a necklace from her neck and dangle the little pink jewel over you while you giggled."

That instantly caught Kagome's attention. "Pink jewel?"

"As she watched you, she told me again that there would be a day that you would be called upon in a time of crisis. Then she looked at me with such a hardened seriousness that I froze in my seat, and she made me swear that no matter what the circumstances, when you were called that I would do nothing to stop you, even if every fiber of my being disagreed with that decision. She was so serious about it that she made me swear the Oath of Generations at that very moment that I would let you go."

"The Oath of Generations?"

"It's a sacred oath between priestesses of the temple, reserved to only the most crucial of pledges between people. It was almost as if she knew something about what was in store for you, but she wouldn't say no matter how hard I pleaded. But nothing would deter her from her goal, so in the end I swore that when the time came I would let you go."

Kagome nodded, starting to understand. "When I fell down the well…"

"Oh Kagome, I had no idea, even in my worst imagination that letting you go meant you being five-hundred years in the past fighting demons, but I had sworn. All I could do was support you in any way I could. And tonight…" Her mother reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a thin golden chain, but it was what was dangling from the end that stole Kagome's breath. "After I swore the Oath, she gave me this and told me that when the time was right I would know to give it to you. She said that it holds the protective spirits of all the priestesses of this shrine from the last five hundred years. It was as if she was speaking to me all afternoon, telling me that the time had come, and that everything would be over soon. But I know it's not that simple. After all that you've been through in the past already, the fact that I've had to wait to give this to you now can only mean that the worst is still coming."

Kagome nodded silently, unable to deny it. She took the necklace from her mother and stared at it for a long time before speaking again. "It's beautiful," she whispered, staring at a perfect miniaturization of the Shikon no Tama, complete and perfect and sparkling with life. Kagome was now sure that somehow her grandmother was connected with all that had been happening in the past, and she wondered if her mother had any idea of the significance of her grandmother's gift, or how suddenly her two worlds had come crashing together at that very moment. Her mother helped her secure the clasp behind her back and gave her a small hug.

"I know I should have told you all this sooner, but I think a part of me always knew that giving you this would mean terrible things were coming, and I hoped that it never had to come to that. But after all this time, I'm not really afraid like I was before, when all this started. I trust in Inuyasha and your other friends; that they'll continue to keep you safe. And I know you Kagome. Whatever is needed of you, you'll accomplish it. You always have. But I just wanted you to know that despite all these grand adventures that I'm sure you're having through all this, I'm glad you at least got a chance to experience a few normal things during your childhood too. I know it's silly, but helping you get ready for tonight has meant a lot to me."

Kagome clutched the tiny jewel around her neck and knew exactly what she meant. "It means a lot to me too."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kagome could hear her grandfather's voice trailing up the stairs selling the finer points of dogwood root for everything from stomachaches to cataracts, and she prayed that Kanota's tolerance hadn't finally found its limit and sent him running back out the door. But his smooth voice was quick to break in that his grandfather had used it as a salve for burns as well, along with mint leaf and some other ingredient that even Kagome had never heard of, and with a sigh knew she shouldn't have been concerned. The two were in fact so intently involved in their conversation of medicinal herb use that it took Sota's small voice from over in the corner to draw their attention away from each other and towards the doorway as she walked into the room.

"Nee-chan!" he breathed in amazement as she passed through the doorway. "You look beautiful!"

"Thanks Sota," she smiled back, but her attention was quickly drawn towards the other boy in the room. Kanota had gone instantly quiet as soon as he became aware of her presence, and his expression had set itself to that of enchanted amazement, which she was sure her own expression mirrored completely. Without surprise, he looked perfect for the engagement, stylishly dressed in a white sport coat over a jet black shirt and tie, black slacks, and black polished leather shoes. His white hair protruded in thick sculpted spikes in every direction, carefully placed and set with its usual understated effort. His blue eyes glowed bright against the colorless outfit, drawing even more attention towards them. Kagome saw them wander over her quickly, pausing only briefly at her neckline before meeting her eyes again.

"Kagome," she thought he heard his voice break just slightly, but he regained control quickly. "You look stunning."

Her cheeks pinked instantly, and it took her longer to eliminate the shake from her voice. "Thanks. You do too."

"I brought this for you," he said smoothly, "but it obviously pales in comparison."

Kagome broke her gaze to peer down at his offering and found herself inclined to disagree. Sitting in his outstretched palm was a pure white exotic lily set as the centerpiece of a corsage amongst an assortment of deep green leaves. She stared at it as he took hold of her wrist to slide it on. It was so beautiful, but somehow it seemed so familiar, even though it was nothing like anything that was sold in any local flower shops. She was about to ask him about it when her mother reemerged from upstairs, camera in hand, instantly snapping a barrage of pictures of the pair while gushing over them both. Grandpa also seemed to be into the moment, reminiscing of the day he had sent his daughter off to her first dance. Only Sota sat quietly in the corner, watching her sister's date with slight suspect. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Higureshi, but if we don't leave soon we'll miss our dinner reservation."

"Oh, of course," she nodded, jumping off to get a coat as Kagome gathered her things.

"Now you take good care of our Kagome," Grandpa said coyly with a wink. "You never know who we'll send after you if you don't."

Kanota gave him a knowing smile. "Don't worry. I don't intend to let her out of my sight."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Since returning from Kagome's time after their argument, the constant gnawing dread Inuyasha had been fighting to subdue had unexplainably ceased, as had the dreams that had been plaguing him over the last weeks. So when Inuyasha found himself once again suddenly wandering aimlessly in the dark mist, it was a surprise to him not only to realize that he was indeed dreaming again, but also that for once while he was here that his mind remained unclouded and his memories intact. Still, he walked cautiously through the haze, letting his mind trigger clues as to what was coming. By the time he came to the clearing, it was all clear in his mind, and he sat waiting for the rustling that signaled the coming attackers with his claws in the ready. This time he would not be caught unprepared.

A warm sticky wind blew from behind, sending a shiver down his spine, and he decided to draw his sword. "I know you're out there. You may as well start talking," he growled.

The wind blew again, harder this time, but no one answered. Around him the fog swirled viciously, as if something was holding it back from attacking as usual. Inuyasha made a quick survey of his surroundings again, then continued forward.

"I remember how this goes this time. Aren't you going to ask me about my purpose or something?"

Still there was no answer, but Inuyasha could feel himself being watched as he walked and it irritated him. "You could at least come out and face me for once instead of hiding behind the fog like a coward as usual."

The wind blew again, changing direction this time and coming from his right swift and hard. "You still have not learned," it seemed to say in his ear.

"Learned what?" Inuyasha demanded sharply, his muscles tensing.

"What is your purpose?" it asked, as if on cue.

The answer came as no surprise, but neither did his reaction. With a yell, Inuyasha let out a wave attack from the Tetsusaiga, parting the mist in front of him for a brief second to reveal a glow in the distance before it swelled in again.

"Why do you continue to hide what you already know to be there?"

He froze, but his eyes remained locked on the hazy glow that was still barely visible. He felt his stomach sink, remembering clearly what following the pinkish-red light brought with it. "What do you mean?"

"What you search for may not be as hidden as you seem to believe."

"What are you talking about?" he shouted wildly? "We've been looking for the Shikon's priestess for weeks now and found nothing! You can't blame me for not finding something that doesn't want to be found!"

"One's destiny does not run from the one to whom it belongs."

Inuyasha snarled at the truth of the statement, but he was not ready to give up the battle. "Well if it's so important, why hasn't it found me since we've been looking so hard? I haven't exactly been hiding from it either!"

"There is a difference between finding your destiny and accepting it." The mist in front of him seemed to swirl, and the glow flashed brighter for a moment, as if it was calling to him. Almost against his will, he began to walk towards it, giving in to its draw despite the anticipated grief he knew was there. "There isn't much time," the voice carried behind him.

His walk turned to a run, and for once the darkness seemed to part, revealing a set pathway for once instead of impeding his target. He saw the jewel's glow and the red and white robes against ebony black hair, and was determined to prevent what he knew was coming. "Kikiyo!" he yelled. "Run! You need to get out of here!"

Instantly he felt the miasma surround and grab him, stopping him instantly. He struggled with all his strength, but to no avail. In front of him, the mist creatures began to swirl around the priestess, excited to finally have been released from their holdings and looking hungrily at the jewel shining in her hand. He watched as she pulled the Shikon close to her, ready to protect it no matter what the cost. Still, she didn't move. His cries grew more and more frantic, knowing exactly what was coming.

"Kikiyo!" Inuyasha cried out, growing more and more desperate. "Go! You're in danger!" But no matter how much effort he put into his struggle, his bonds never seemed to weaken, nor did the other respond to his frantic warnings. Once again he watched helplessly as the mist took shape, churning wildly around waiting for their opportunity to strike at their target.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha bellowed, sinking to his knees against his bonds. "Why! Isn't this my purpose? So why can't I do anything? Why can't I protect her?"

The warm wind blew softly towards him, and the tight grip on his body seemed to loosen just slightly. "Why do you continue to hide what you already know to be there?" he heard it ask again.

And not knowing what else to do, he looked up again, as if it was his punishment for being unable to fulfill his duty, taking every bit of it into his mind so that if he ever was to wake up from this nightmare he could remember it to keep him fighting to his last breath. He saw the swirl of the fog against the blood red cloth of the priestess robes. He saw the shaking fingers as they tried desperately to shield the Shikon's light from her attackers. His vision crawled over every part, burning it into his mind as he felt tears starting to well up and trickle down around his cheek. Then suddenly his eyes widened as he started to notice more and more of the details. Like the fact that her ponytail was just a bit shorter and curled up at the ends. And that her cheekbone was just a bit softer. And that her stance was not quite so hardened and confident.

And suddenly he understood everything.

"What is your destiny?" he heard whispered in the distance.

"Kagome!" he cried out with every bit of strength he had left in him, and this time she turned towards him, the terror on her face ripping at his heart, but her eyes shining with the tiniest spark of hope upon finally seeing him there.

"Inuyasha! Help me!" she cried, reaching towards him while he watched helplessly as the light of the Shikon was once again swallowed up by the darkness.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

His eyes snapped open instantly, and without even waiting for full awareness to set in took off running towards the Bone Eaters Well, every fiber in his existence screaming of one thing only. Kagome was in danger. If he didn't go now, she might not be there for him to save. As he ran, he cursed himself for not seeing it sooner, and wondered if Naraku now had the upper hand because of his ignorance to see what had been right in front of him the whole time.

"Kagome, hold on," he prayed to the night sky as he flung himself full speed down the well shaft. "I'm coming for you. Just please be safe."

Behind in the hut, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou sat staring at the door, stunned at Inuyasha's abrupt departure, and wondering what he could possibly be reacting to so fervently after the way he'd been sulking all week. "Do you think it has something to do with Kagome?" Shippou asked, unable to mask the concern in his voice.

"Anything that induces that kind of response from Inuyasha has to involve Kagome," Miroku nodded calmly. Beside him, Sango seemed to smile knowingly, and Shippou, glancing between the two, scowled at the fact that he seemed to be the only one in the dark about what was going on. In a huff, he took off out the door and out towards the edge of the village in the direction of the well, his irritation quickly rising. Why did only stupid Inuyasha get to go see Kagome? She had promised she would come back to visit, but so far only Inuyasha had been able to go see her, and judging from the mood he was in when he got back had probably gotten into a fight with her and ruined the chances of her coming back to see the rest of them. Now, after the group had sat around for almost a week waiting for Inuyasha's attitude to improve, he was running off again to see her and leaving them behind. In frustration, he drew back and kicked the well as hard as he could, which unfortunately accomplished nothing more than a throbbing toe. Dejected, Shippou flung himself into the grass, fighting back tears.

"Why am I always the one that gets left out?" he sniffed loudly.

Somewhere not far away, a small moan answered him, sending Shippou scrambling behind the stone well shaft in terror. "Wha- what was that?" he murmured, suddenly remembering that he had come out here completely alone and unprotected. Trembling, he peaked out, but saw nothing, and was about to fully emerge when he heard it again.

"That doesn't sound like a monster," he thought after a moment, coming out from his hiding place and moving towards the noise with caution. "Actually, for a minute there it almost sounded like…"

It was then that Shippou spotted Kikiyo's near lifeless body in the grass, and immediately ran back into the village to get help from the others.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

_For those of you who were wondering when someone other than Inuyasha and Kagome were going to get some more of the action, the next chapter's going to be for you. It may even clear up some of those nasty questions that are plaguing your mind. Like why is Kikiyo such a bitch to everyone all the time? You'll just have to come back and find out:)_

_As always, reviews are appreciated! _


	10. A Feeling of Change

_I think I've decided that writing while watching sports on TV brings out the best ideas for some strange reason. That always seems to be when I can spit out page after page. I don't know why. Inspiration is a strange and wonderful thing, even on a chapter like this one where I thought I knew exactly how it was going to play out beforehand. I like it this way better. Sorry for all you people who hate Kikiyo. She has to talk alot this time around, but I think it'll be okay._

It wasn't long after Kikiyo was brought inside that Miroku noticed her eyes twitching as a small flickering of spirit energy began floating through the room. For a brief moment he considered helping speed up the waking process with his own personal flair, but quickly remembered exactly how sharp Inuyasha's claws were and reconsidered his plan. With a sigh, he instead peaked his head out the door to alert the others and waited as the barrage of soul collectors continued to provide the ghostly nourishment needed to resurrect Kikiyo's clay body. Watching the priestess feed had always been something that disturbed him in an especially deep part of his soul. Despite his amorous nature and the distractions it tended to bring, he was first and foremost a priest and had dedicated his life to the protection of human souls, both while alive and in their passage to the next life. Seeing people's lives used so someone could cling on to this world long after death should have taken them was depraved, something that someone who called herself a priestess should be greatly offended by. But Kikiyo carried on as if they owed it to her, that she had some higher purpose that justified their sacrifice somehow.

Sango and Shippou had already made their way inside, and Kaete had just entered with fresh water and cloths when Kikiyo stirred again and finally opened her eyes. She instantly seemed to recognize her surroundings, but her apprehension was apparent as her gaze rapidly surveyed the room repeatedly. "Where is she? The girl from the other world," she asked weakly.

"Kagome?" Miroku asked in surprise. Sango shared his hesitancy, suspicious of Kikiyo's instant interest in the whereabouts of her rival and ready to protect her friend if necessary.

"Where is Kagome?" she asked again, her voice growing stronger as more souls continued to enter her body. "Please, tell me where she is."

Miroku watched her closely for a few moments, judging the sincerity of her tone. "She went back to her time," he said finally. "She's been gone for weeks now, studying for a school exam."

The revelation didn't seem to settle Kikiyo's uneasiness. "And Inuyahsa?"

"He went after her for some reason not long before we found you." Miroku was growing slightly skeptical of Kikiyo's intentions, wondering what possibly could have her looking so uncharacteristically anxious. After all, they had been searching for her for weeks and found nothing but frustration, yet the moment Inuyasha finally had been distracted from his mission she effortlessly appeared looking for Kagome. Factoring in Inuyasha's strange behavior over the last few weeks, Miroku's stomach took a small lurching turn of warning. Something big was going to happen, and Kikiyo knew more than she seemed willing to tell at the moment.

"It may already be too late." Kikiyo shut her eyes and looked almost to be holding back tears. "Because of my selfishness."

"What do you mean! Is Kagome in danger?" Shippou cried out desperately before Sango hushed him softly.

"We're all in danger," Kikiyo answered curtly, a dark look crossing her pale features. "I thought I could stop him, but I was wrong. His power has become too great for me now."

All of them froze, the intensity of her message sending an icy chill through each of them, since not one of them doubted her words. Naraku had bought enough time to power himself up like he planned. And now with all but three of the jewel shards within his control, he carried an even weightier advantage. It also was consistent with what Miroku had been wondering during the time they were looking for Kikiyo, that Inuyasha might subconsciously know this as well, and that was why he seemed not only so intent on finding Kikiyo, but also allowing Kagome to be away from his direct protection by putting her in the only place where Naraku couldn't touch her.

But then again, he had run after her awfully suddenly, and he had a look of fear that Miroku had not thought Inuyasha capable of.

What was going on?

"What'll we do?" Shippou's soft voice trembled. "If we can't beat him, what's going to happen to us?"

Sango found herself reaching out to hug the small demon, as much to comfort herself as to calm him. It didn't seem right, not after all they had been through, all the hardship and traveling and battle that they had to endure. They had been bruised and scarred and grown stronger, but Naraku had sat in hiding and outdone them all. She wasn't going to be able to save her brother. And Miroku, if he was allowed to survive, would still be cursed the fate of his family. If any of them were allowed to survive.

"That's why I need to find her…to be sure she knows," Kikiyo said softly, her voice breathy.

"Knows what?" Sango snapped instantly, looking for any hope that could possibly be left.

"That the Shikon has chosen her now. Fixing all of this is no longer my responsibility."

"What do you mean?" Sango's temper was rising fast, and Kikiyo's subtle snide undertone did not go unnoticed.

"Even if the Shikon had never been broken, Naraku still would have taken it. The jewel had sensed the power shift long before Naraku made himself known to the world. Back when it was my responsibility to protect it, I knew that something was coming, but I was unprepared. I let myself be distracted, instead of paying attention to just how unbalanced the world had become."

"So you knew about Naraku's coming before any of this started," Miroku restated calmly. "But unfortunately he took you by surprise using your relationship with Inuyasha before you could do anything about it."

"Even before I realized my mistake, Inuyasha had tried to stop him, although I don't know if he even knew it was what he was doing at the time. He ended up buying time by stealing the jewel from the temple and running with it before Naraku had a chance to steal it himself. But by then the damage had already been done, and I knew I wasn't going to survive. I also knew what I had to do."

From the other side of the room Kaete sighed, remembering the day when both her sister and her eye had been lost, another cost suffered as a result of Naraku's evil. "I thought that Inuyasha was trying to steal the jewel for himself, like he was always threatening to do," she said softly. "But how could the Shikon use an outsider like Inuyasha to prevent itself from falling into Naraku's hands? He has no spiritual training to be in tune with things of that nature."

Kikiyo's already pale features seemed to turn ashen, obviously disturbed by the other priestess's words. She stared blankly ahead, lost in the memories of that day and its events. "He was supposed to protect me," Miroku barely heard her say from his spot right next to her. "If I had only let him…we might have stopped Naraku for good right then."

The priest frowned. "I don't understand. Even if Inuyasha was somehow subconsciously protecting the jewel from Naraku by trying to steal it that day, why would he have gotten himself involved beyond that? I mean, he's not exactly the type to willingly get himself involved in other people's business."

Kikiyo turned her head towards him, her emotions flashing strongly in her brown eyes. "It was his business," she said sharply. "The Shikon had chosen him to be the guardian. It was me who refused to accept it."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Early evenings at the temple were always a peaceful time for the Higureshi household, and this one was no exception. After Kagome and Kanota had left for the evening, the rest of the family had settled into their usual after dinner routine, with Grandpa reading the daily newspaper and Mrs. Higureshi finishing some mending in the living room. Only Sota seemed unable to focus, his homework sitting in a perpetual state of half-finishedness while he absently sat tapping his pencil. Not one of them, however, even flinched at the loud crashing sound coming from upstairs and thudding footsteps echoing down the stairwell.

"Good evening Inuyasha," Kagome's mom smiled from her work. "It's nice to see you again. It's certainly been a long time."

Inuyasha had no time for small talk. "Where's Kagome. I need to find her."

"She's out for the evening. Left with a friend from school a while ago," Grandpa replied with a smile. "You're welcome to wait here if you want, but I expect she'll be out fairly late."

The hanyou made no move to sit, his body continuing to tense with each moment that Kagome remained unaccounted for. "Where exactly did she go? It's important."

Sota's pencil froze mid tap, recognizing the panicked undertone in his voice as the same uneasiness that had gripped his stomach since he watched his sister walk out the door. "You sensed it too, didn't you."

Inuyasha's head snapped hard towards Sota, who was staring at the paper in front of him without seeing it at all.

"That guy, who keeps coming to see her," he continued in a small voice that only the dog demon could hear. "There's something not right about him, isn't there. Something dangerous." And as if that wasn't enough, the boy then turned to look at him, the terror in his eyes begging Inuyasha to do something to save his sister.

"You know where they went," he stated curtly.

Sota nodded.

"Let's go."

And without further explanation the boys rushed out the door, leaving the adults staring blankly at the door that slammed behind them in their haste to get to Kagome.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Guardian?" Sango let the word out slowly, cutting through the frozen stillness that had overtaken the room.

"Whaddaya mean guardian?" Shippou demanded a little too loudly only to be hushed again by the demon slayer before he said something inappropriate, but everyone was watching the priestess intently, hoping she would choose to elaborate instead of falling back into her aloof nature.

"The Shikon has been born and reborn many times since its creation, each time choosing a priestess and a guardian to help protect the balance of the world it emerges in," Kikiyo's breathy voice carried to everyone's attentive ears. "I realized that Inuyasha had been chosen as my counterpart soon after he started attempting to steal the Shikon from the temple. Like everything Inuyasha does, it was his own dramatic way of announcing himself as such."

Sango was still skeptical. "But if Inuyasha was supposed to be helping you guard the jewel, why would you let him go on stealing it for so long?"

Miroku, from his close vantage point, watched Kikiyo struggling to maintain her stonefaced composure. "Because," she said with almost guilty hesitation, "I didn't agree with the Shikon's selection. I didn't think he was capable of the responsibility. To me, his behavior just seemed to reinforce it."

Something still wasn't making sense to Miroku, and for a long time he continued to mull over the details of Kikiyo and Inuyasha's complicated history. If Inuyasha really was the guardian to the Shikon's priestess, it explained his driving interest in both finding the jewel shards and protecting Kikiyo, even when the situation didn't warrant the need. But if Kikiyo knew of his status from the start, what was it that kept her from at least taking advantage of his strength, not to mention the obvious psychological grasp she still seemed to maintain, to at least accomplish what she believed to be her mission? And then there was still one other piece that just didn't seem to fit this picture.

"Tell me though, when Naraku attacked, he used your feelings for each other against you, so at some point you had to have changed your mind about him, right?"

Kikiyo seemed to choke for a second, her cheeks flushing for the first time that Miroku could remember. "We might have deluded ourselves for a while that something could have happened between us, but underneath it all he's still a half demon, and therefore partially the same thing I swore to protect the jewel against."

"How can you say that!" Sango couldn't help herself. "Inuyasha's done nothing but show you complete devotion. He was even willing to make himself human so you could be together!"

Kikiyo shot a glare towards her that set Sango quiet even from across the room. "Don't speak like you know what you're talking about," she said in a low tone. "It's the job of the priestess of the Shikon first and foremost to protect the jewel above all else. There was no other way that I could be sure that he wasn't...that he wouldn't…" It was obvious that while her words were passionate, there was still a part of her that doubted her own convictions as the tears began to pool in the corners of her eyes. "Why did the Shikon have to choose a half demon? I wanted to believe him so much!"

The others shared a glance in confusion, never having witnessed a break in Kikiyo's usual rigid composure before. "I'm sorry, lady Kikiyo, but I think we're all confused," Miroku said politely, praying she wouldn't leave them clueless on this topic. "What was it that lead you to believe that what Inuyasha was telling you wasn't genuine? I don't mean to give the wrong impression, but since all of us have known him, he's always seemed a little, well…pig-headed when it came to matters involving you. So much so sometimes that it almost seemed supernatural." He glanced around the room for a moment, assuring himself that the hanyou in question wasn't suddenly standing in the doorway ready to murder him.

Kikiyo didn't seem amused. "Haven't you noticed? He's the same way when it comes to Kagome."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The spring night remained unusually warm, thankfully allowing Kagome the ability to hide her anxious hands around her sweater as she walked beside Kanota up the garden pathway towards where she could already hear the faint sounds of music and chattering laughter drifting towards them. The night had been overwhelming enough already. Kanota had started the evening by taking her to the fanciest restaurant Kagome had ever set foot inside, saying with a knowing smile that it would be rude of him to treat her to anything less as beautiful as she looked this evening. Instantly that had set Kagome's nerves on edge, fogging up her mind and preventing her from formulating a clear thought. Kanota hadn't seemed to mind, happy to carry the conversation through dinner even if she couldn't come up with a subject on her own. By the end of the meal she was so full and sleepy from the meal itself that when Kanota had suggested they walk from dinner to the school, she had eagerly agreed, happy at the thought of some fresh air.

"It seems like forever since I've walked outside at night. I forgot how nice it was sometimes to sleep out under the stars with everyone."

"Kagome, can I ask you something?" Kanota's voice brought her back from the Feudal Era.

"Uh, sure," she replied, trying to keep the shake out of her voice. Why was she suddenly feeling so uncomfortable?

Kanota had stopped walking and was looking at her with a small smile. "Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked, a hint of edge in his voice. "You don't seem to be quite your normal self tonight."

"Oh, no of course. It's been great." She smiled. "It's just been a bit of an overwhelming week, that's all."

"That's good," he replied softly. "I'd just been thinking how surprisingly enjoyable this week has been as well. You really are nothing like I thought you'd be."

His words struck her as strange, but something about his eyes distracted her, the sudden flicker of uncertainty that was normally so characteristically absent. It was a fleeting thought as Kagome found herself being kissed again by him, the same excited tingling running through her body, practically causing her to drop her sweater. When she opened her eyes again, he was watching her with that same gaze.

"I'm sorry. It's just, I really wanted to be able to do that one more time."

Kanota didn't force a response, instead taking her hand and continuing to lead her towards where the rest of her classmates were congregating. But Kagome couldn't help the slightly mystified expression that she was sure she wore plainly on her face. Because somehow in the middle of the excitement of Kanota's kiss, two very real awarenesses came forefront into her mind.

First, that Inuyasha was suddenly somewhere here, in her time.

And second, that somehow, things were going to change.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"It wasn't my feelings for Inuyasha that Naraku used to trick me, but rather my mistrust of his true intentions regarding the jewel. Even though Inuyasha had agreed to become human, I couldn't be sure of it until I saw it with my own eyes. I could sense his heartache, knowing that the only way I would let him protect me like he knew he should was to give up the power that he depended on to do it with."

"Sense?" Miroku perked, recognizing that behavior in Inuyasha as well that until then he had attributed to his demon nature.

"The priestess and guardian of the Shikon jewel share a deep connection that attracts one to the other, sometimes so intensely that they can actually know the other's thoughts."

And then all of a sudden things started falling into place. "So Naraku had to figure out how to break through that connection so that both of you didn't reveal his treachery to each other through your link."

"He attacked me using Inuyasha's image knowing that I would retaliate, and probably thought he would have ample time to go for the jewel after Inuyasha was dead. I'm sure, however, that he didn't expect for me to die too. But when I felt Inuyasha's subconsciousness go blank, something within me suddenly had no desire to go on anymore either. And neither of us knew that the God Tree had protected him, sealing him instead of killing him as I had intended when I shot that arrow." She paused, closing her eyes against the weight of her memories. "The next thing I knew I had been brought back in this form using Kagome's soul. I sensed it as soon as I saw him that day, that the Shikon's power still sat within him, just as it was suddenly flowing through me again, but there was something foreign about it, like it didn't fit inside me quite right anymore. And then I saw her, and I knew what had happened."

"Kagome…" Sango breathed. "I had no idea…I mean she said that she broke it, but…"

There was still a hint of spite in her voice as Kikiyo went on. "She was weak and an outsider, and had already allowed the jewel to be broken." She allowed a breathy pause, knowing that what she said was probably causing some turmoil amongst the people that Kagome called friends. "I held on to the Shikon's power, thinking that at least I was better suited to battle what I already knew was coming. However, I forgot that the Shikon's power doesn't work that way, that it grows and develops to match the imbalance of the world around it. So while I've been holding on to the power that Kagome had been developing since birth, just as I had done when I was born, she's made up for it by growing stronger to make up for the loss. She's even given me more of her power to save my life, and still has managed to step up and battle when the situation called."

"So Kagome can beat Naraku?" Shippou's excited statement echoed over everything as he jumped out of Sango's lap.

"No," Kikiyo shot back instantly. "Not yet."

"Then what do we have to do?" Miroku asked calmly.

"There is nothing you can do. The only hope we have in defeating Naraku is if Kagome takes back the power that she gave to me in the first place, and even that might not be enough."

"He's grown that strong, huh."

She looked at the monk, fear creeping into her eyes. "Beyond what I ever thought possible. I don't know what's going to happen, but something is about to change"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Inuyasha was running as fast as his legs could possibly go, but it still didn't seem to be enough. Even with Sota on his back giving him precise directions on which way to go, the fear gripping his stomach only seemed to be tightening its clench. "Are you sure this is the fastest way to where Kagome is?"

"Positive," Sota called back.

Gritting his teeth, he called up every ounce of energy he could find within himself and pushed on.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The hall had been full of people and loud banging music, and it wasn't long before Kagome insisted that she needed some air and wandered outside. Kanota found her not long after she left, sitting towards the back of the garden looking slightly dizzy and with a satisfied look went to sit down next to her. A few other couples wandered around the garden space, but they paid no attention to the two, wrapped up in their own giddy excitement of the night. As he sat down next to her, Kanota handed her a glass of water that he had grabbed on the way out to meet her.

"You looked like you needed this," he smiled.

"Thanks." She took the glass, but simply held it in her lap while staring at the moon.

"Kagome, if you don't start giving me more attention than that, I'm going to start thinking that I've done something." There was humor in his tone, mixed with something else, something darker.

She broke her daze and turned towards him. "I'm sorry. I guess I've been distracted tonight. It's just…I've been getting these strange vibes all night, and I'm not really sure if I should be worried about them or not." For once, Kanota didn't seem to have a response, instead just watching her closely with his same small smile. "But I'm sure it's nothing," she said hurriedly, eagerly trying to change the subject. "I've been wondering, where did you get this flower? It smells so sweet, I've been catching its scent all night."

"It's not from around here. My sister grows exotic flowers as a hobby. She arranged it for me to give to you."

"It's strange, but it seems so familiar to me."

He tilted his head to the side, the smile on his lips seeming to fade just slightly. "Does it now."

The sensation hit them both at just that moment, taking Kagome by surprise at its strength and forcing Kanota to his feet. Collected as ever, he stood, touching the lily on Kagome's wrist causing it to glow faintly and emit a fragrant mist that made her head start to spin even worse than it had been before. "What's going on?" she murmured faintly, trying hard to focus on staying upright.

"It seems like our evening has been cut short. The other player in this little scenario apparently has found us faster I expected."

"Unwanted…guest…" His voice had sounded so irritated, as if he expected this, and at that moment Kagome knew. But how could he know that he was coming like she did? "Inu…yasha?"

"That's right, he's coming for you, sweet priestess, but he can't have you yet."

It was the last thing she heard before she felt herself collapse against his chest and her world went black.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Inuyasha was acutely aware enough to know that Kagome was not in the building with the others, and silently was thankful that he wasn't going to have to fight through crowds of irritating students in order to find her. He leapt from tree to tree, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible without sacrificing speed, ready for whatever might come at him and itching to destroy whatever was causing this rising panic within him.

It never occurred to him that he would be too late.

He saw Kagome sink into the arms of the white haired boy who he had seen her with before that day that they had fought just as his piercing blue eyes locked straight on to him. With a smug smirk that sent a ripple down Inuyasha's spine, he touched the flower attached to her wrist, causing it to glow even brighter than it had been before. The light expanded around them, seeming to engulf them in its warmth while at the same time releasing four large insects that he recognized instantly.

But it wasn't possible…

"Inuyasha! Help me!" Kagome's voice screamed through his head with sickening familiarity.

The poisonous insects darted directly towards him, but the Tetsusaiga was in his hand instantly, eliminating the threat more as an afterthought as he started after them. But it was just enough. By the time his feet hit the ground the pair were gone, the darkness settling back into his vision and revealing their blatant absence. His shock was paralyzing. Naraku had found a way through the time barrier. His premonitions had been right all along. Kagome had never been safe. It had just been a matter of time before he had come for her, with the final crushing blow being that he had waited for Inuyasha's presence to reveal that he had been in control all along. It was almost more than he could physically bear.

"Inuyasha…the shard…get the shard…"

He could hear Kagome's voice weakly calling to him from somewhere far away, and his eyes snapped open. Immediately he ran back to the place where he had left Sota behind in case of danger. "Sota," he clenched the boy's shoulders a little tighter than he meant to, "did Kagome have a jewel shard hidden somewhere in her room?"

The boy nodded. It was all he needed. Without another word he scooped the boy up and headed full speed back to the Higureshi temple, and to the well that would carry him back to where Kagome now was.

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_I admit it. I'm a fan of the cliffhanger ending, since it just excites me for what's going to happen next! Poor Inuyasha, he just never seems to getthere on time. Maybe next chapter he'll get some help finally. Or maybe he'll start listening to his instincts earlier for once. Oh Inuyasha, when will you ever learn? At least he seems to be figuring things out now. As always, your comments and opinions are greatly appreciated!_


	11. Desperate Times

_I know there are some people out there that thought I had given up on this poor epic tale of woes (all 3 of you, 2 being the people physically prodding me to write more-you know who you are, and keep doing it if you want to see more.) To the other 1.5 of you or to anyone else who might have randomly gotten sucked in to thisstory late one night(thanks for reading it, by the way), in my defense, this has been a crazy few months. If you really want the details of what has kept me from posting any more chapters, review this one and I'll personally senda detailed message of my ever so exciting life (insert sarcastic tone here). And please be reassured that I already have most of the next chapter written, and it is good. Oh yes, it is good stuff. But you gotta get through this part first, so I'm gonna shut up now and let you read._

_And in case anyone forgot, all these characters don't belong to me. If they did, you'd be watching all this in animated goodness instead of waiting for it on a website posting. And if I made any characters up (which I did) they can go ahead and steal them. Be my guest. I'll know the truth in my heart...and as long as the powers that bedon't sue me, that's all that matters._

It was the chill that she sensed first, a damp chill that penetrated straight through her, bringing her out of her sleep into a confused daze. She felt her body release an involuntary shiver and at the same time felt the grip around her torso and knees tighten. "Inuyasha?" the thought flashed through her mind, but was quickly rejected. The embrace she felt was different, unmistakably alien against her body, and her mind's reaction was clearly screaming of danger despite the fact that it seemed incapable of controlling any major physical independent movement at the moment. Concentrating hard, she managed weakly to open her eyes, straining to focus on the face of the person who was carrying her.

"Ah, Kagome, you truly are a fighter," she heard Kanota's voice murmor, snapping her further into consciousness. He was watching her, his crisp eyes locked on to her face, swirling with mixed emotions.

"Kanota…why…" she managed to voice weakly, her terror growing.

"Shh, save your strength," he said, a finger rubbing on her wrist as the same strong sweet fragrance she had smelled before began to circle around them. "You have a big job ahead of you."

She could do nothing to fight the decent back to oblivion, therefore deciding to let it embrace her again as she felt Kanota bring her just slightly closer to his chest as a small measure of comfort. But neither the physical embrace nor the bliss of unconsciousness seemed to calm the rising dread of what she somehow sensed was about to happen. As a final thought before losing herself again, she once again reached out to the only one she knew beyond doubt could help her now.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Why was it that when he most needed to hurry, everything seemed to take impossibly long?

It had taken slightly less time for the two of them to get back to the temple where Inuyasha had immediately taken off towards the direction of the well and was about to throw open the doors when Sota's sharp cry caught his attention, forcing him to freeze momentarily.

"Aren't you forgetting about the jewel shard?" he asked breathily, face flushed from chasing him across the courtyard.

Inuyasha let out a small growl at the significantly important detail he couldn't seem to retain so long as Kagome's whereabouts remained unknown. Sota, seeming to enjoy his current small role in his sister's grand adventure, ignored him once again as he led the hanyou up to his sister's room, although without the zeal that his partner was practically seething in his need to get back to the Feudal Era. It was obvious that the kid didn't understand the true peril that his sister was in at the moment, but revealing it now wasn't going to help either, so he let Sota continue his task while trying very hard not to destroy something. Quickly, but methodically the boy proceeded to tearing apart the contents of his sister's desk drawer, something he didn't seem terribly upset to be doing, Inuyahsa noticed, as he set particular items in a small separate pile from the ones that he flung haphazardly in his search. Finally, after a few loud foot stomps and a very direct clearing of the throat, Sota recovered a small jar and handed over the prize, and for a moment, Inuyasha froze, staring at the now unfamiliar object in his hand. Instead of the bright sparkling jewel shard Kagome had taken with her, a lifeless gray twin sat cold in his palm that even through the glass forced a shiver through his core.

He had to hurry.

Grasping the piece, he gave Sota a nod exited through the bedroom window into the night towards the small shed housing the well and the link back to his world. Taking a hard jump in, he felt the familiar pull of atmosphere around him as he began the transport back to his time, but almost instantly the air around him seemed heavy, particularly targeting the shard in his hand, as if the portal itself even rejected the shard in its current form. Inuyasha fought on, pressing on against any resistance as hard as he was able, not allowing the thought that the well was going to keep him from getting to where he was going, but just as the force against him seemed to be almost overpowering, its aim shifted, sending him flying towards the other end of the passage and practically spitting him out the top of the Bone Eaters Well.

Almost without hesitation, Inuyasha was on his feet and heading up the path towards the village. Obviously most of the villagers were already tucked away for the night, precautions already in place against any demon attacks that might take place. The watchmen were out as usual, but none seemed concerned with the expedient approach of the familiar demon spawn. "Just as well," he thought, happy to be saved the nuisance of battling through them to the people who could actually be of some help. Looking ahead, he saw a flickering of light through the window of Kaete's hut and prayed for some good luck for a change. If the group was still awake, it would take them less time to get them mobilized and on the search for Kagome.

Or so he thought. As was becoming the trend of the evening, unexpected twists continued to complicate what started out as the simplest of plans, this time in the form of a pale-faced priestess who sat staring at him frowning as soon as he ducked into the doorway.

"We've been waiting for you, Inuyasha."

"Kikiyo…" The name barely escaped his lips in a breathy rush as he collapsed against the doorframe, his body spent after the long struggle unconsciously taking advantage of the period of rest. The rest of the group was seated around, he noticed thankfully, but the mood in the room sat heavy after his sudden interruption, making the hairs on his arm rise. "What's been going on here?" he wondered silently, eyeing his friends' exhausted expressions that so closely mirrored his own, although none so much as the pale faced priestess who he had spent so much time searching for up until just hours ago.

Before everything had changed.

"Where's Kagome?" Shippou's grating voice called out without hesitation, never one to be concerned with tact. "I thought you were going to get her."

Sango immediately hushed the fox demon sharply, but found her gaze locking on to Inuyasha expectantly as well, hoping that Kagome's noticeable absence didn't mean the worst. Kikiyo however, was not one to grasp on to fleeting hope.

"He has her, doesn't he," she stated flatly, needing only to look at her former guardian to confirm her answer. He stood slumped, almost dependently, against the doorframe, eyes closed and lips twitching, preparing himself, she knew, for whatever he would have to overcome to get her back. Intuitively she knew that getting Kagome back was no longer a question for Inuyasha, but how soon would it be before he could get to her. Suddenly urgently needing to suppress the foreign but undeniable pangs of jealousy beginning to bubble in her stomach, Kikiyo drew her attention towards his tightly clenched hand, pulling herself upright to retrieve its contents from him with a large amount of effort. Beside them, Miroku watched the exchange with quiet interest.

Just as Inuyasha had when first receiving it, Kikiyo jerked at the cold streak that immediately began creeping up her arm from the small gray jewel shard that now sat in her palm. Concentrating the reserves of her energy, she began pouring it towards the shard, trying whatever means she could think of to respark its energy to what it was before as the group watched with breathless intensity. The tiny jewel piece sparkled with momentary life for a few sparse seconds, but ultimately returned to its lifeless gray as Kikiyo slumped back onto the bedroll, her efforts taking their toll on her already depleted body. For the first time, Miroku noted, Inuyasha didn't fall straight by her side, but instead seemed to be struggling even more against what he guessed were his instincts to head out the door and back on the search.

"It's just as I thought, there's nothing I can do anymore," Kikiyo said with a hint of spite. "Kagome's the only one with the power to fix this now."

"Well then what are we all just standing around here for?" Inuyasha fired, allowing his frustrations a bit of an outlet. "We should be on our way to get her back from that damn bastard!"

"Take it easy Inuyasha," Miroku's even toned voice broke in over the shouting. "I think we know better by now than to rush into anything involving Naraku, especially in his own territory. Besides, for the moment we have a bit of an advantage." He eyed Kikiyo who continued to feign preoccupation with the jewel shard clenched tightly in her hand. "Naraku won't hurt Kagome, since she seems to be the key element in all of his plans. He probably figures that we have no idea of her significance either and are on the verge of desperation to get her back just out of devotion alone. But perhaps even more importantly, we still have something he needs." He paused dramatically, waiting as all eyes directed towards Kikiyo and the jewel piece in her hand. "Even if he were only using Kagome as bait for us, he would have to keep her completely unharmed in order for us to consider giving up our shard."

The thought of bargaining with Naraku brought a throaty growl from Inuyasha who at this particular moment preferred the idea of sticking his sword through the demon's gut a few times or more. "And just what do you think we should do?"

"If this truly is to be our final showdown with Naraku, we need to have every piece of information we can get, especially the exact whereabouts of the other three loose shards. If Naraku still feels there is work to be done, then Kohaku at least should still be holding a shard in his back. Koga has two shards as well that he so far has managed to keep out of Naraku's grasp. Our shard has more power when paired with the other three as well, so I'd say it's in our best interest to figure out exactly where they are."

Miroku could see Inuyasha's uneasiness with the idea of being away from Kagome any longer than absolutely necessary and knew that he had a short window of time before he would probably take off on his own after her, and thereby cause more trouble than they wanted at that point. He hated surprises, and knowing their situation, Naraku would have plenty up his sleeve for them anyways. There was also one other thing that was plaguing him, something he was just going to have to trust his instincts on and hope somehow it would all fall into place in the end.

"Sango, take Kirara and find out your brother's whereabouts and any recent activity. Shippou and I will do the same for Koga." He paused, quickly weighing all other options in his head. "Kikiyo, I assume that having come from there you know where Naraku's probably taken Kagome."

Inuyasha's attention snapped towards the priestess who nodded without hesitation. "Good," the priest continued, "then you and Inuyasha go on ahead and see if you can find Kagome and get to her before something worse happens. If all works out, we'll have a clear path to catch up to you when the rest of us find out what we need to know."

The hanyou was already making his way out the door, apparently satisfied with Miroku's proposal, followed by a jittery Shippou who seemed just as happy not to be assigned to be headed straight towards Naraku. Sango, on the other hand, sat behind quietly, acutely aware of Miroku's lingering attention towards Kikiyo as she too made her way out the hut. Pretending to examine her tools for her journey, she waited until the two of them were alone to confirm that their thoughts really did mirror each other.

"Do you really think we can trust her?" she asked in a low tone.

"She's certainly been more trouble for us than help," he replied, "but for a number of reasons it's probably our only option. Besides, I'm not sure what happened over in Kagome's world, but Inuyasha is behaving as if Kikiyo is practically non-existent, which seems consistent with what she told us earlier. And if that's really the case, there's nothing we can do to keep Inuyasha from launching himself for wherever Kagome is anyway."

Sango nodded, but still looked uneasy, and Miroku could sense her brother's safety on her mind. "Don't worry," he smiled reassuringly, placing a hand on top of hers. "Kikiyo was first and foremost a priestess of the Shikon jewel. I'm sure beyond anything else her impulse is to protect the jewel from falling into the wrong hands. She may have her own ultimate devices, but I don't think it's to let the Shikon stay in Naraku's possession."

Sango by this time knew the priest well enough to catch the insecurity in his words, but she knew Miroku was right. At this point, the two of them alone would be useless in the web they had become entangled in. All they had left was to trust that somehow Inuyasha would come through and Kagome would be okay, a concept she could see was difficult for Miroku as well as he too exited the small hut with a determined stride.

The moon hung low over the roofs of the village, seeming to illuminate Kikiyo's dark rich hair with a gem-like shimmer as she stood staring out towards the forest where the God Tree stood, still bearing the smooth pressed scar of Inuyasha's prior entrapment. At the time, she had probably done what she thought would protect the jewel, sacrificing her own desires by whatever means. This time her intentions were much more fuzzy.

"You know that if anything happens to Kagome because of you, it won't just be Inuyasha you'll have to answer to."

"Your mistrust of me is not unexpected, monk," Kikiyo responded softly, not bothering to break her gaze from the distance. "If it's too much for you, I have no problem leaving you to find Kagome on your own."

"That's just it. You've never really told us why the sudden interest in helping Kagome. You'll have to pardon my doubts, but I'm having a hard time remembering a time that your intentions towards Kagome haven't been malicious in some way."

Kikiyo was quiet for a spell, in her own way agreeing with him. "I do what I have to do, as the jewel guides me. Maybe it is my final duty as a priestess of the Shikon, but my soul can't rest until I have done my part to restore the balance." Her head shifted slightly and her gaze rested on Inuyasha approaching from the direction of the Bone Eaters Well. "Just as Inuyasha must do what he must."

"Kikiyo!" the hanyou's voice carried sharply up the hill. "Let's go."

She obeyed instantly, meeting him at the foot of the slope and taking her place attached to his back where Kagome had sat so many times before, and in a swirl of red and white, the pair took off into the night sky towards the destiny that had been affixed upon them for so long.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was hard to maintain focus long enough to recall what was going on around her, but it didn't stop Kagome from trying. But success had its price, as the first thing that hit her each time was a damp chill that racked her bones and shot straight to her core. The second was the ache that penetrated her body, likely from being binded to the hard slab beneath her. She couldn't move her arms or legs, although she couldn't sense ropes or anything else binding them that trended along normal hostage securing likeness. And in the middle of it all, as if seeping its way into her consciousness, the deep current of magical energy would hit her, along with the strange sensation that she had been here before, sometime long ago.

But the relative calm ended there, and Kagome held her breath, bracing for what happened next. It started in a nauseous wave, the first physical signal of her body's rejection of the evil power surrounding her, then quickly progressed to an electric stabbing that seemed to run through every vessel, forcing spasms to wrack her from the inside out. She bit her lip, trying hard not to reveal her consciousness to her enemy, but the intensity of the powers surrounding her continued to chip away at her stamina until she could no longer hold her body still and the screams erupted from her, looking for any outlet of release that might ease her suffering.

Instantly the sound of her cries sparked activity from across the room, and Kanota appeared in a flash, a mixture of concern and disapproval adorning his features. At first the flash of white hair stirred a glimmer of relief to the pain, but quickly her mind recognized him and the memories of what had happened earlier came rushing back. She struggled against his touch as he gently smoothed her hair in a gesture of comfort.

"Kagome, why do you keep fighting me when I'm trying to help you? You don't have to go through all this pain."

She could only shake her head. Words seemed impossible at this time as her mind grew more and more fuzzy with Kanota's sedating magic and soon once again her body lay heavy and numb as her mind drifted further away. Having lost her current battle, she let her thoughts drift towards her one reserve of strength, calling to him one more time in desperation.

"Inuyasha…where are you? You have to find me…you have to get me out of here…"

She could picture him clear in her mind, so close she could swear she could reach out and grab hold of him, running at a near frantic pace. For a second he twitched and a bizarre expression crossed him, almost as if he could perceive her cries somehow. His mouth formed her name silently, but she never noticed it as Kagome finally gave in, allowing herself to be engulfed in Kanota's sheltering void with the image of her savior carrying her rival burned to her memory.

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_I love hearing what you think. It encourages me to write more. :) And for those of you who have given up hope for anything good to happen, tune in next time for...well, just tune in. Hell, you've gotten this far, haven't ya? _


	12. Confessions and Revilations

_My roommate told me this is her favorite chapter yet (I love you, my co-anime addict). It certainly did just flow out of me, probably because this chapter in particular has been circulating in my head for a very long time, and it's been so great to finally get to the point of all of this as well as redeem Inuyasha for some of his past sins. But I say too much. Please, y'all who might still be reading this one pleasant evening, let me know what you think! _

Inuyasha had never bothered to check whether he was going in the right direction, rather as soon as Kikiyo was secure he had simply taken off without thought, his instincts pushing him to move as fast as possible. And move he had, dashing full speed over the hilltops and skillfully weaving in between forest trees, unwilling to waste any precious time with Kagome's safety teetering on the brink. But after two straight hours of traveling without hearing more than a faint sigh-like breathing coming from behind him, he was beginning to wonder just exactly what she knew about Naraku's current whereabouts at all, not to mention that Kagome would have complained about her aching bottom a long time ago. With a twinge of guilt, he realized he'd been waiting for her to say something for a while now. It was strange concept to think he actually missed someone's complaining, that she'd grown that familiar.

Kikiyo seemed indifferent to the idea of a break, but dutifully sat leaning against a large tree trunk staring at the swiftly running water of a nearby stream, seemingly content with waiting until her counterpart was ready to depart again. Inuyasha, on the other hand, who was really in no mood to keep still in the first place, wandered further downstream, his head a swirling of details and emotions, none of which made any sense to him. He had known, somehow, that Kagome wasn't safe in her world, and because he had ignored his own instinct she was now in even more danger. But he'd never been hit with any feeling that strongly before, the suffocating grip that had relentlessly pursued him even into his dreams. The only time that had even compared was the day that Kikiyo had sealed him.

That time it had started as more of a pestering, a nagging voice in his brain telling him to find Kikiyo, to get the jewel. He had tried to ignore it then too, since at that time going anywhere near her or the jewel would have set Kikiyo off in a fit, but no matter what he did his brain couldn't seem to focus on anything else. He couldn't sleep, his appetite was gone, and even the other demons seemed to somehow know to avoid a fight with him until he practically thought he would explode in a psychotic fit. Finally, after fighting it all day, he had gone, giving in to whatever had suddenly possessed his mind, but by then it had been too late. Kikiyo had already been hurt, and all he could save was the jewel, which had all been for naught after she had sealed him to the God Tree.

"How could none of us have seen that it was Kagome that we needed all this time," he stared at his wriggling reflection, "that what we were searching for was right there, searching with us no less. And now I've let all this happen again!"

And as if wasn't feeling guilty enough, with everything else that he should have been focusing on, he couldn't seem to prevent his brain from thinking about the way her dress had hugged against her body, or how that one dark curl had fallen over her eye as she went unconscious, or the way her skin had seemed to shimmer in the night's light. And most particularly how that bastard spawn of Naraku had hugged her to him as he had taken her away, with that cocky smirk of triumph on his face.

He couldn't sit there a moment longer.

"Get up. We gotta keep moving," he called as he marched back towards where Kikiyo sat, but to his further irritation she didn't seem eager to move. "Come on, I need you to tell me where Naraku is. It's just a matter of time before-"

"Sit down Inuyasha," Kikiyo ordered quietly but in a tone that spoke for itself. It was one he recognized immediately. Without a word he obeyed, taking a seat around the curve of the trunk so that they sat shoulder to shoulder but outside of the other's field of vision, neither one shifting to look at the other. After all this time, they still didn't need to, the traces of their fraying bond still effective enough to allow bits of her emotions through to him. There seemed to be a small storm of unease within her too, constantly stirring in a way that mirrored his own, but it was buried far beneath a heavy blanket of exhaustion that spread itself toward him as well, helping him to settle for the moment.

"You're in love with her, you know," he heard her say from somewhere close yet far away at the same time.

Hearing her say those words should have been a shock, but instead he found it reassuring to have all the chaos in his mind identified. "How do you know?" he asked after a moment, his voice accepting and resisting the idea of it all at the same time. He wondered if she could feel it the way he could feel her weariness, like trickles of breeze that were there and gone before the senses even registered its presence. "All these feelings, these impulses that I never seem to understand, they were the same with you too. And because I didn't listen this time either, I've let everything from the past happen all over again! Some damn guardian..."

Kikiyo for a minute couldn't seem to find words. "So you did know…all this time, who you really were."

"Hmh, you really think it was Kaete who convinced me to hunt down all those shards after they'd been broken?" he replied with a hint of irritated amusement. "I would have been just as happy to let Kagome try and find them all herself, but I don't think I would have ever been able to sleep soundly again, not that traveling with that group has been all that much better."

"So all those times that you had tried to steal the jewel…"

"It started out as a cover. No one trying to steal the jewel would expect it was protected by someone who was trying to steal it for himself."

"But why didn't you tell me? How did I never realize?"

"I tried to tell you, in the beginning when I started to realize who you were. But you always so damn insistent on doing everything yourself and you wouldn't let me protect you. But every moment I spent with you, even when we were fighting, it just made me want to be with you more."

She knew exactly what he meant, all those times of trying to ignore his presence, convincing herself that she alone could keep the jewel safe while at the same time urgently being drawn to her counterpart in a way she never fully understood. And just when she had reached the point of accepting it, Naraku had made his move. "It never made sense before. I thought you had no clue who you were, and you kept attacking and making me beat you back while all that time everything in me was saying that you were really there to protect me. I thought I was crazy, that somehow the Shikon had it all wrong, or that I somehow didn't understand what it was telling me. I kept waiting for my guardian, and all it kept giving me was you." There was tension in her voice as she remembered her frustration. "I figured it was testing my will to be its priestess, so I learned to fight for myself, and I was determined not to let my weakness be an excuse to allow the jewel to be in danger."

A small grin crept onto his face, despite himself, and his voice got soft as his mind started wandering in the past as well. "I used to feel my stomach flutter in a strange way when you were fighting. When it first started, I used to run to where you were, and by the time I got there, you always had taken care of things. After a while if I would just stay put for half a minute, it would go away like nothing ever happened. It used to make me wonder what I was even around for, why I kept feeling so drawn to you."

"The more time I spent around you, the more drawn to you I was as well, but my mind kept battling me. And then Naraku caught my hesitation and used it against me."

Bringing up the events of Naraku's treachery brought out a seriousness in him as well. "That day, it was the first time in a long time where that feeling like you were in danger never seemed to go away. But even though it seemed like we were finally getting along like we were supposed to, you still would get mad at me when I tried to fight for you. I used it as an excuse to ignore my own instincts, but it just made the feeling worse, and by the time I finally went it was too late." He paused, hesitant about what he wanted to say next. "I've thought about that day so many times since then. My whole existence was about protecting you and the jewel, and because of my failure, you had to suffer."

Kikiyo just breathed a sigh and leaned forward to rest her chin on her drawn up knees. "That's not all that bothers you about that time, is it."

The next memory caught in his throat, making it hard for him to breathe, and with definite hesitation, he quietly let his confession spill. "When I woke up after being sealed, the first thing I remember was that same sick feeling that you were in danger, and when I opened my eyes, I thought it was you standing there. Except it was her, it was Kagome, and she was the one in danger. If she had waited any longer arguing with me about pulling out that arrow, that centipede demon would've eaten her. I remember feeling like if I let that happen, my whole purpose would become meaningless. So I did, I protected her. And ever since I did, nothing has been the same."

And suddenly he had done it, admitted his complete failure in front of her. Because if he had been there to protect her in the first place, Kikiyo never would have been hurt, never would have died. The jewel never would have ended up with Kagome, and he never would have betrayed his Shikon bond with Kikiyo by bonding with her when she somehow revived him from the God Tree's sleep. The jewel never would have been broken. He never would have made this journey, met his friends, become this powerful. And he never would be sitting here with the woman he was supposed to be in love with admitting that he had somehow fallen in love with the proof that he had failed her at the beginning of this whole mess.

How could a guardian do that to his priestess?

But Kikiyo didn't seem the slightest bit phased by his admitted compulsion to protect Kagome. In fact, she seemed ready to continue on his story. "And you continued to feel that urge to protect her until the day that witch revived me, isn't that right."

He didn't know what to say. "How…did you know that?"

For the first time since he had sat down next to her, Kikiyo turned and faced him. "Your mistakes are not the only ones that have affected what has happened. Now I need to tell you my secret."

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Miroku didn't need any divine visions to predict that his lungs were going to explode if he didn't stop running within the next five seconds. Unfortunately, his fox conscience was right there hanging on his right shoulder, ready to remind him that Kagome was depending on them, and he couldn't bring himself to stop. They had been searching for hours, fighting fatigue and darkness, looking for anything that might lead them to Kagome or Koga, and so far had found nothing but more frustration. He hated to admit it, but he could feel the optimism he'd used so convincingly before with the others depleting along with his stamina, just as everything was becoming critical. He had to do something.

"Shippou, we're going to rest now," he barely managed in an audible tone as he slowed to a stop near a tall cluster of rocks. He collapsed his shoulders against them, rubbing the kinks and cramps out of his muscles as he tried desperately to recover the ability to breathe properly. The wisdom of this plan was shaky at best, but splitting up had been their only option given the situation. With so few options and no outside resources to depend on, it at least allowed them to cover more ground. He could only hope that somehow with Kikiyo's inside knowledge that the two of them could somehow get Kagome back on their own, but somehow that didn't seem too likely either.

What were they going to do? Was everything they had been through all going to be for nothing anyways? Had Naraku been too powerful from the beginning that they had never even had a chance? But they had almost defeated him at the gravesite of Inuyasha's father had it not been for Naraku's narrow escape. In fact, that always seemed to be their setback, being unable to prevent Naraku from escaping. If there was only some way to know his getaway plans ahead of time, or to be able to block it somehow…

He had practically fallen asleep leaning there, unaware of how physically tired he really was, but a sharp tugging at his robes brought him rushing back to cold hard reality and a wide-eyed Shippou who was rapidly shifting his gaze from him to a spot a few hillsides down the road.

"Miroku, there are demons coming," he whimpered, hiding himself inside the folds of his robe.

He was right. Sure enough, just off in the distance he could see the traces of a dust cloud as something was approaching. The hoops on his staff jingled as he tensed, preparing his already tattered body for the possibility of yet another fight, while inside his stomach sank. His eyes fixed on the movement down the road, Miroku held his breath. Could nothing, for once, go easily for them for once? But after only a few seconds he reflexively relaxed and shut his eyes, a smile creeping over his features.

"Don't worry Shippou. For once, something _has_ gone our way."

Shippou blinked a couple more times, eyes straining to focus on what was coming, then broke out in a toothy grin as he recognized Ginta and Hatkagu racing furiously towards them wearing curiously distressed expressions. The pair soon recognized them as well, and came to a screeching halt, panting hard to try and catch their breath. But despite their relief to see a pair of friends, they couldn't help but show their disappointment to see that the pair was minus one important member.

Koga.

"Miroku! Shippou!" Ginta cried happily. "I'm glad we ran into you!"

"You actually saved us the trouble of fining you," Miroku nodded back at the pair. "But where's Koga? Did he get ahead of you?"

"That's why we've been trying to find you! He attacked us! We were just traveling, and then the kid on the horse attacked us."

"We've been tracking the scent so we can follow it to where he's taken Koga," Hatkagu continued. "We were hoping to run into you guys like this. Is Inuyasha around? I don't know if we can handle this on our own."

Damn, so their luck wasn't exactly perfect, and Naraku was moving faster than he had anticipated. Not only did he already have Kagome, but Koga and his jewel shards as well. He quickly prayed that Sango's luck finding Kohaku was better than theirs had been with the wolf demon, then plastered a calm, collected expression on his face. "I think we're all ultimately headed for the same destination. In fact, Inuyasha left before us with Kikiyo, so it's possible he's already there."

"Really? Why? What's going on?"

But Miroku was already on the move, the stakes of the situation growing by the minute. "I'll explain on the way, but right now it's critical that you keep track of that scent." Thankfully, the wolf demons obeyed instantly, happy to have someone giving orders again, and for lack of a better plan the priest took off after them, finding whatever final remnants of energy his body could muster. Obviously Naraku was preparing for his final strike, and his power was greater now than ever before. Everything logical told him that by now their little group had no feasible chance of defeating him, but some small voice still wondered if their greatest, if not only weapon, was that fact that at this point none of them had anything left to lose.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

If he had thought he was confused about everything that was happening to him, Kikiyo had just thrown the equivalent of a massive sucker punch right at him. "What do you mean, your secret? How has any of what happened been your fault?"

"The fact that I'm even here at all already has brought more chaos to this whole situation," Kikiyo replied matter of factly. "You were sealed for fifty years. Kiete told you that I had died. You didn't think she had lied to you, did you?"

"Well, no, but-"

"It doesn't really matter. The fact was that I did die that day, and I did what I had to do to protect the Shikon. By sealing it away within my body and having my remains cremated properly, it was supposed to assure that the jewel would remain untouched by anyone until the next priestess was selected. It was an extreme measure, but with you gone and Naraku still out there, it seemed like my only option at the time. I had no idea that there was going to be such a jump in time before the next priestess was to be selected by the Shikon, or that a bridge between times was forming through the Bone Eater's Well."

It hadn't made any sense to him either at the time, learning about what had happened and even more where Kagome had come from before showing up in his time with the jewel in hand. That had created some turmoil within him too, his mind constantly conflicting as to whether he should be protecting her or taking the jewel away and protecting it himself. "The villagers kept whispering about how she was your reincarnation come back to protect them, but it never seemed right to me."

"It's still unclear to me how the situation became the way it did, but I knew without a doubt that she was a legitimate successor of the Shikon line my very first contact with her, probably before she knew it herself." He could feel the nerves building in her the more she talked about Kagome, a feeling that was so foreign coming from her, but there was also an undercurrent of a need to set things right, making him even more confused.

"I should have left things alone," she continued. "I had sacrificed myself for a reason, and the Shikon had maintained its balance for far longer than either of us had been protecting it."

"I don't get it. What choice did you have in the matter? That witch was the one that forced you back to your body. That idiot should have known better than to try to manipulate a Shikon priestess."

Kikiyo paused, her eyes softening as she observed the obvious confusion worn blatantly on his expression, as if a sudden understanding had just come over her. "So it's true. You really don't know the true circumstances of my revival."

"What was there to know?" he shrugged. "The jewel was in danger. It needed you to fix the damage, so it called you back."

"No, Inuyasha, that's not entirely true. The jewel was threatened by Naraku's constantly increasing power when it was returned to this era through Kagome, that's true, but it had already taken its own protective measures by shattering and spreading across the land, buying time for itself before its full power could be used again by anyone."

That took him by surprise. "You mean it wasn't Kagome's fault that the jewel ended up in pieces?"

"You should know better than anyone how the Shikon uses its chosen without their full understanding," she replied. "It's not the first time it has happened either. Other priestesses have also made journeys to gather the scattered shards of the Shikon."

"So if the jewel didn't call you back, how did you end up involved in all of this?" Inuyasha asked in a rush, trying hard to come to terms with the fact that all his previous conceptions of his journey and, even more, his relationships had been completely misguided up until this point.

"That," Kikiyo said slowly, "requires an understanding of the heritage of the Shikon priestesses. You see, when the Shikon was formed all those years ago to contain all of those demon's auras, its Midoriko, the first priestess knew that the enormous amount of demon energy would only serve as a beacon for more demons looking to increase their own power. She also had the foresight to understand that as time went on, the evil power of those seeking it would only get stronger. So as a countermeasure, as each chosen priestess passed on over time, her power was transferred to the next chosen one through the jewel itself, therefore increasing each one's spiritual power beyond what she could ever accomplish alone. That's why it was so important that Kaete perform the specific rituals in preparing my body with the jewel after I died."

It took him a minute to process. "You mean Kagome's power is actually a collection of all the powers of the Shikon priestesses since the jewel was formed?" he expressed with a hint of bewilderment.

For the first time, Kikiyo broke her gaze, and a sick look seemed to cross her face. "It should be, if I had done what I was supposed to do." She crossed her arms around her stomach, trying to bring herself to go on with her explanation. Instinctively, as a gesture of comfort, Inuyasha brushed the swipe of hair away from her cheek and rested his hand on her shoulder, but it only brought out a little choke as she tried hard to maintain her composure.

What could she have done that was so terrible?

"Oh, Inuyasha," she cried, a single tear finally trickling down her face and falling warm on the top of his finger. "Kagome really is an amazing woman, and I can only wonder what horrors she will have to battle when she finally returns to her time when all this is finally over."

He stared at her, cold and hard, trying to register what Kagome's time had to do with anything they were talking about, much less what could be making the ever stoic priestess he had once loved and protected break down like this. "What do you mean? Kikiyo, what did you do?"

With a deep breath and closed eyes, Kikiyo fought for the strength to tell what she had been hiding for so long. "Kagome's powers have grown a great deal since the beginning of your journey, just as yours have as well, but these powers are her own, a reflection of the strength of her will and her sense of duty to the Shikon that has called her as its next priestess. I would say by now that her spiritual powers have possibly surpassed what my own were when protecting the jewel was my responsibility. And had I been able to overcome my own selfishness that day I was revived, I'm sure Naraku would have been destroyed a long time ago."

And suddenly it was all clear, the magnitude of what Kikiyo had done, like a massive blow straight to his core that spread a cold chill throughout his body. "You mean that…"

"That witch Urasue used Kagome's soul to bring me back, recognizing the quickly developing power that was starting to show within her. Essentially it was her sacrifice that gave me back my life, as well as my powers as a Shikon priestess. Since part of my own soul made up part of the power that should have been inherited by Kagome, it was easy to draw it back to the surface as my own consciousness when it was placed into the body of that clay doll. It also didn't take long to realize what had happened and see who it was that had become my successor. But my mistrust of others is my own demon to battle. I knew in my heart that I should have transfered that power back to her and let her handle the responsibilities that the Shikon had entrusted her with. But instead I saw a weak, strange girl with no understanding of our time or what the Shikon even was and the power it posessed. Eventually as the situation played out her own will and strength drew her soul back to her body, a sign of the strength of her character that I should have recognized, but I wouldn't allow the Shikon's power to be given back, and I kept it from returning to her, thinking that I was far better suited, even if I had to depend on the soul collectors to maintain my strength, to fight back whatever evil threatened the jewel's restoration."

There was a thick silence in the air as Inuyasha finally started to really understand why Kikiyo had been so apprehensive to reveal this information, and also why suddenly Kikiyo had been so interested in finding Kagome. All this time the jewel's true chosen priestess had not only been working at half power, but without the full knowledge of her true responsibilities, or even who she really was. And in turn, he had never known either, torn between his draw towards the call of the power of past priestesses and the new power developing in Kagome, a conflict that had been plaguing him since he had first seen Kikiyo again that night. It wasn't often that information made him dizzy, almost nauseated, the ideas of knowing someone and seeing a complete stranger running circles through his mind. He couldn't say a word, couldn't even raise his head as Kikiyo's sobbing seemed to grow, making it clear that she was also aware of what he had also realized, the other side of the coin, the other important law in regards to the powers associated with the Shikon.

Midoriko had also had the foresight to know that the drive for power was also paired with the tendency to corrupt, even for the protectors of the Shikon itself. So from the beginning of the jewel's existence, as well as that of its royal couple, there had been enacted one specific rule that served as the single governing law in regards to the power of the priestess's guardian, one that served to keep the powers of both in check. So many times he had wondered why his own power had never seemed to be enough at times. Even after acquiring the Tetsusaiga he couldn't seem to draw up quite the level of raw power that he had been able to when with Kikiyo, despite being able to focus it more efficiently through the sword itself, as well as Tetsusaiga's own maturation and growth adding an advantage to his level. Only when Kagome had been in serious danger had his prior levels of power truly shown themselves, sometimes just barely allowing them to narrowly squeeze out of nearly impossible situations. But if what Kikiyo said was true, and she truly had been holding back essentially half of Kagome's true power, then the opposite was true as well.

He had only achieved half of his true potential as well.

This meant that he was potentially able to reach the power he had obtained in his raw demon form, but under the complete control of his own consciousness, his own strict control. This meant that they really might just have a chance against Naraku. But in order for it to all happen, this also meant one other important thing.

That Kikiyo had to die.

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_Yes, there, I said it. But you all know she had it coming. Personally, I've wanted to do her in for such a long time, and the true Inuyasha gurusalmost did too, except she had to show back up again like a damn cochroach. Kikiyo lovers beware, there will be none of that here, although she may just redeem herself from being stabbed in the back like she deserves if she continues to behave. Will I be merciful? You'll have to find out..._


	13. When the World Crashes

_For anyone still around for this, bless you and your patient souls. Somehow, the story continues on..._

_And if I knew someone other than my best friend was still hanging on every word, it might stimulate my muse just a little bit more. If only could find myself a rich sponsor. Then I could write and watch anime all day long. Sigh, the good life...  
_

Even for this current hideout, to Kagura it seemed almost too quiet on this particular night. Like everyone else, she was well aware of the preparations being made both internally and externally after Kanota's return with Kagome, but for all the activity that was happening, the silence gave no hint of everyone's rush to have things ready before Inuyasha's inevitable arrival, and with him the last piece of the Shikon.

For all her disdain of the master, she couldn't help but admire the timing and patience involved in Naraku's plan, although from what she heard, the hanyou had already cut things dangerously close by figuring things out when he did. Any sooner and it would have caused a major rift in everything, and as it was, the others were scrambling to finish the last few details needed to bring things to completion. It was for this reason that Kagura suddenly found herself with this patch of unexpected free time. It had originally been her job to alert the others when Inuyasha and his friends had figured out that Kagome had been taken, but since he had been there to witness it firsthand, her assignment had quickly been accomplished. There was no point in spying on them further. By now Kikiyo was likely leading them straight to Naraku, thus delivering the final missing piece and allowing the end game to begin.

But despite everything seemingly going according to plan, something was bothering her, a warning deep in her gut that there was some obscure detail that Naraku had failed to calculate. After all, nothing ever seemed to go according to plan when dealing with Inuyasha and his cohorts.

And then there was Naraku's newest incarnation, who despite his own completed mission, seemed unwilling to leave his captive's side, a fact that she was fairly certain was not because he thought she had a chance of escape. From her first encounter, something about Kanota had made her uneasy, that beyond his apparent devotion to his creator, he was almost too good to be true.

Not that it really mattered. Once Inuyasha arrived with the jewel, Naraku had made it clear that he planned on finishing things himself, not trusting anyone else to lay the final blow and claim the Shikon no Tama after finally regaining its full power.

She wondered as she often had during these final days what would happen once Naraku had finally accomplished his goal. Would he still find use for his incarnations once he obtained supreme power, or would he carry through with what he had implied when he created her, that one day she would receive her heart, and with it her freedom? But the answer sat heavy, a knowledge she in truth knew from the beginning, that once Naraku did obtain supreme power, no one, human or demon, would be free from his rule. Dwelling on this suddenly reminded her of Kikiyo's words the day she had released her from captivity, only days ago, it instead seemed almost like an eternity.

Naraku had no qualms about getting rid of disposable life.

He had also gone to great lengths to protect her.

Did she really have a small grasp of influence over Naraku? Could she really influence how this final scenereo played out? As she pondered, she found herself wandering by the overlook ledge above the chamber where Kagome currently lay still against the demon bone slab that held her captive. Amazingly, even in a state of unconsciousness, the expression played out across her entire body, from her clenched fists and tightly pressed lips to the rigid, unrelaxed posturing of her muscles was evidence of her own incessant struggle for freedom. But as fascinating as the Shikon's priestess was, Kagura's attention was drawn to her fellow incarnation as Kanota too watched the girl's fight to regain control. Watching, she noticed, with the same protective apprehension that she so often saw on Inuyasha's face when it came to matters regarding Kagome.

Maybe, she thought with a smile, she wasn't the only one who might potentially throw an influential wrench into Naraku's so carefully crafted plans.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sango wasn't sure quite what she was doing there. Hell, she wasn't sure what she was doing at all anymore. All she knew for sure was that life didn't let you keep things simple. Whenever you thought you had things figured out, it was when you became complacent in life, that anyone who truly was paying attention should realize that _it_ was coming, although you could never be quite sure what _it_ was going to be. Thinking back, if she had only paid attention, she could have been more prepared for where she was now, and not so damn unsure of her entire existence. She had been so content in the demon slayer's village, working her way up in standing with each mission she completed with her father, reinforcing her own training by teaching her brother. She was royalty in simplicity, preparing for the day that it would be forced upon her to lead, and she would dutifully step up to the task with the confidence that she had earned her position not just because she was her father's daughter, but because she really was the right person to take his place.

And then Naraku had taken everything away from her in his ploy to try to use her for his own purposes.

So when she finally found her track again, revenge became her sole focus, and what better way to try to accomplish that mission than to join up with people with the same frame of mind as herself? And along came a rag-tag group of misfits that were so bizzarly ridiculous that together they just might be able to pull off their common goal. So without any family or friends or other feasible option to turn to, she had joined them, and slowly began to become convinced that they really might be able to pull off the impossible against the one who had wronged them all.

And then suddenly Kohaku had reappeared, ironically linked by the most brittle of threads to the one they all wanted to destroy. Suddenly she had to make a choice: carry out the vengeance of the whole of her village, as honor would have her do, or give it all up for the gamble that she might be able to save her brother somehow. A brother that didn't even know who she was or the sacrifices she was making to try to save him, a fact she was sure Naraku probably found damn amusing every time he dwelled on it.

So she pushed on, hoping that good would somehow push through and illuminate the way. After all, it kept bringing Kikiyo back to Inuyasha, and Inuyasha back to Kagome. And somehow _it_ had thrown the monk right at her full force, allowing him to weasel his way right into the deepest regions of her heart so that now he and the rest of them had become family, and with Miroku, maybe even something more.

Yes, life had a way of not allowing any of their little family to remain complacent in anything.

So in times like these, she made herself step back to her roots, to where it all began for her, and the reason she had started on this journey to begin with. And even though she had an extremely important task to perform, she couldn't seem to tear herself away from her father's gravesite.

It was getting chillier as the night went on, and the breeze starting to bite through her thin shawl, reminding her that time was growing shorter, and with it the time they had to save Kagome. Admittedly, even if she or Miroku couldn't accomplish their tasks they might still have a chance to save their friend, but success would give them one more inch of an advantage out of the chasm of burden that Naraku had methodically buried them in. But more importantly, it gave her one more opportunity to try and save her brother before she lost him forever one more time. Certainly a long shot, but one she would continue to chance time and time again, no matter how many failures she had to stomach.

She hadn't intended on staying here long, simply stopping to remind herself what she was sacrificing all of this for. Yet almost as soon as she got to the old village site, something kept her frozen there, but not quite totally against her will. Kilala too, she noticed, seemed quietly settled, instinctually waiting for whatever was keeping Sango from carrying on with her duties as if she too knew that this was exactly where they both needed to be right at that moment. And at that moment, as she stared at the gravestones that marked the place where her old family had been laid to rest, the very ones that her new family had helped to erect, for the first time she recognized the feeling suddenly spreading like electricity throughout her body.

Right then and there, she was absolutely certain that _it_ was about to happen again. And then she heard it.

"Aneue…"

She hadn't even needed him to speak, she could simply feel his presence in the air in the way that only siblings could know each other, and it was taking all of her energy not to break down in tears. "Kohaku," she breathed, unable to even turn around. She heard Kilala's chirp as she shrunk down to her relaxed smaller state and jumped into the arms of the young man. It was this that finally gave Sango the strength to look at her brother, because if Kilala was comfortable with his presence, that could only mean…

"Is it possible…that you really…remember me?"

By now the kitten was happily nestled in Kohaku's arms, nuzzling her head under his hand in an attempt to get him to scratch her head some more. He nodded. "I remember everything. I have for a while now."

She wasn't sure if she should be elated or horrified, but for the moment just having her brother back was enough. "Oh Kohaku," she murmured, closing the gap between them and embracing him tightly for as long as the squished kitten between them would allow. "How? How are you here? I was going to look for you, but… And you know us…and Kilala… Can you really…can you really remember everything?"

He nodded into her shoulder, knowing that any more than that would probably set her off again. "I don't have time to explain everything, but if we don't hurry there'll be no chance at all."

"No chance for what? What are you talking about?"

"No chance to save me."

Instantly Sango could feel her legs go slightly limp and struggled to keep standing. Not only was her brother standing in front of her, memories intact and free of Naraku's control, at least momentarily, but also presenting her with a solution as to how to get him back permanently. Without a moment's remorse, Kagome's priority was immediately downgraded. "Tell me what we need to do."

Kohaku nodded, signaling Kirara to change form and allow the two of them to climb aboard before quickly taking off into the night sky. "Naraku's final plan to get all the shards together is almost complete. He already had Hakudoushi capture Koga and his shards, and probably by now Inuyasha has heard about Kagome's capture and is likely delivering his jewel shard straight to him, meaning it's only a matter of time before he'll take back the shard from me as well. Without it, my soul will no longer be able to adhere to this body, and because of the nature of my death and the fact that I have been prevented from passing on for so long, likely my soul will be forced to wander this world." He paused, glancing around until finally fixing his gaze on a tiny spot in the distance, nudging Sango towards the poisonous insect slowly gaining on them in the distance. "I think Naraku is starting to get more suspicious of my movements," he muttered softly.

Quickly Sango drew out her weapon, and with swiftly calculated aim eliminated the pest in a single stroke. "If he wasn't before, he certainly will be now," she proclaimed. "But you said there might be a way to save you."

Kohaku nodded. "No matter what happens in this final battle, the jewel will ultimately end up whole again, meaning Naraku will be calling for this piece of the jewel soon. With this shard already tainted, there's nothing I can do when he does, but maybe if we can find him, there might be a chance."

Sango found herself once again almost at a loss for words. The last memories of her brother before his capture he had been so timid and unwilling to assume authority, then after his possession he had been little more than a puppet. And now here he was, behaving so grown up, speaking with such authority. Yet another part of her soul darkened, festering with hatred towards the enemy that had forced this change in him, not because she disliked what she was seeing, but because it was another part of her brother's maturing that she had been robbed of experiencing with him.

"Kohaku, just who is it that we need to find?"

"Sesshomaru." His answer was curt and simple, swirling a response of curiosity and disappointment in Sango. There was no way Inuyasha's brother would be inclined in the least to help them, but Kohaku seemed so sure of himself.

"You really think asking THAT self-righteous jerk is going to get you anywhere?" she couldn't help but spit out. "He probably won't even give us the time of day, much less do us a favor."

Kohaku smiled, although not without showing his own uncertainty. "Probably. Knowing my ties with Naraku and your ties with Inuyasha, he probably won't be very likely to want to help us. But his Tenseigua is the only way to restore my soul to my body and dislodge the shard without killing me."

And there it was, the answer so obvious, and yet she'd never considered Sheshomaru's sword as an option for saving her brother. But none of their dealings with Sheshomaru in the past had ever been particularly cooperative, even when they had corresponding goals, and there was no question of Sheshomaru's feelings towards Naraku and anyone associated with him. So what on earth did Kohaku think he could do to even get the demon to acknowledge him, much less keep him from simply killing him on the spot?

"You really think Sesshomaru will be willing to do you a favor and use his Tensaigua?" she asked, unable to cover the doubt clearly shining through her tone.

"No, not really. That's why I want to talk to Rin first."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

When Kagome awoke again this time, two strong realizations seemed to be drilling into her mind. Foremost was the presence of the Shikon, the strength of its presence pressing on her with a power like she never realized before, but also it was if she could hear it's thoughts in small quipped jumbles, as if the souls of the very demons it was forged from so long ago were reacting to the situation as well. It was electric, sharp and quick, excitable and anticipative, sensing that soon it would be whole once more as each remaining piece drew closer and closer to the mass bulk that Naraku stood holding in his hand as he sat watching her with a small sneering smile. Deep down though, she could also sense that the jewel seemed sick, seething off a poisonous energy as a reflection of its current master, and filling her with a sense of foreboding. The second was her new location, a place she had only been once, but recognized instantly. Fitting that the place that Naraku had brought her to restore the jewel was the very place that it had been formed by Midoriko so long ago. She could feel the sharp angles of the demons' bodies against her back, frozen in time, their energy now swirling in the form of the nearly whole Shikon. He stood from his spot, crossing to where she hung suspended, his gaze fluctuating between her and the jewel.

"Without question the jewel reacts strongly to your presence," he crooned, holding it between them. "I wonder just how Kikiyo feels, knowing that she's been replaced, and by her bitter rival no less."

She refused to answer, even though by now she knew he was right. Her own very instinct around the Shikon confirmed that what he was saying was true. "Since you seem to know that as well, what makes you think that I'll help you?"

"Because, my dear, it's your duty as the Priestess of the Shikon. Instinctually you must know that it can't remain shattered forever." He paced slowly in front of her, fully aware of his effect on her psyche. "Besides, I'd say you owe it to me. You've caused me far more trouble than Kikiyo ever did when the jewel was under her care."

She tried to keep her expression indifferent, to not give him the satisfaction of seeing his words effect on her, but it had never been one of her strengths. "Me? A burden on Naraku? What have I ever done but let Inuyasha and the others protect me?" She looked up again at Naraku's amused expression and hardened her own. "I may not have been aware of what I am in the past, but nothing's changed. It's still my duty to fight with everything I have to keep the Shikon away from you."

This brought a deep laugh from somewhere deep within her enemy. "And just what do you intend to do, priestess? You're incomplete. The jewel's power has been tainted, making it inaccessible by you, and even more, I captured you before your newly awakened powers had a chance to call you a guardian." He turned and crossed the gap between them, taking her chin in his hands and forcing their eyes to lock. His face was so close to hers that his eyes took up her entire field of view, dark and sinister and watching her deeply. "You're clinging to the final hope that the dog demon will save you," he revealed only to her. "I suppose I could let you in on things. He's on his way right now, delivering the final jewel shard to me along with the Shikon's former priestess. But I wouldn't go getting too excited just yet. His priestess's power is all but gone, as I'm sure he's aware of by now. If he truly is foolish enough to challenge me, I'll gladly take the opportunity to tear his limbs from his body as he begs for mercy."

Her stomach turned at his words, and Kagome closed her eyes to try to distance herself by whatever means from Naraku's hateful glee, a gesture that the enemy took as defeat as he finally backed away in satisfaction. However Naraku knew about all of this before she was even completely aware of it herself was troubling, but like most things involving her still incomplete knowledge of the Feudal Era, not terribly surprising to her. But inside her heart she clung to one last secret hope, her last hidden defense plan. Naraku had been right on most accounts. As a priestess, she was incomplete, that as the Priestess of the Shikon she should be stronger than she was now. It was also true that the bulk of the Shikon had been tainted, making its power unavailable to her unless she could purify it again. But what Naraku didn't know was that she had called a guardian, long ago before her dormant powers had even started to surface, before she even had any idea what she was even doing, back when the Shikon had first emerged from her body.

She hadn't understood it at the time, much less known that it would be permanent, or how the contract forged between them at that one particular moment in time would grow and change and emerge to what it had become in this search for the jewel shards. All he had been at the time was a last chance hope for survival against a demon that was about to tear her to pieces. For all she knew, he could have turned on her too, betraying her in exchange for the thing that had just appeared from inside her, but at the time there had been a strong feeling that had urged her to trust him, relying on him completely for her survival, even though she had no idea at the time who he even was. Based on what she knew of their history, Kagome wondered if it had been that way for Kikiyo as well, a fleeting decision in a brief moment of crisis, unaware of what would come because of it. But Naraku had brought up the one critical detail, that Inuyasha's original master, one who had been dead at the time she had called on him, had been resurrected. What if their bond superseded hers? His priority always had been her, and the details of this whole priestess thing were still so new to her…

Her thoughts were interrupted as a new presence entered the room, further dampening the aura of evil that filled it. Naraku turned towards his young incarnation, splattered with dirt and blood, but obviously satisfied with his efforts. "The wolf demon has been dealt with," Hakudoushi smirked, holding out two more quickly graying jewel shards. "He put up a decent struggle, but I don't think he'll be much of a hindrance to us anymore."

"No, Koga!" Kagome couldn't restrain her choked cry, which only served to add to Naraku's elevating satisfaction. He returned his attention to his captive, sliding the two shards into place where they instantly absorbed the dark nature of the rest of the jewel. "You see, priestess, everything that is happening right now is all according to my plan and completely under my control," he said, his breath hot against her ear. "So really, your cooperation could determine just how much suffering your friends will have to go through before they die as well."

"No!" It was too much, and her whole body responded with her misery. Instantly Kanota was at her side, though she hadn't noticed his presence beyond Naraku's. His face was soft but with a forced blankness as he wiped away one of her tears, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Naraku, who didn't seem particularly shocked by this act, but his good mood seemed to darken at his incarnation's audaciousness. He backed away, but his attention was now completely on Kanota, who answered his stare.

"It would be in the best interest of your well being for you to remember your place," he said darkly. "Or have you forgotten where you came from."

But Kanota's resolve didn't falter, at least outwardly, as he remained next to the sobbing Kagome who had long since become lost in her own despair, and eventually Naraku turned away and focused again on Hakudoushi who watched the scene with an annoyed sense of boredom. "Make sure that we're prepared for the final shard's arrival," he ordered on his way out of the room. "And find Kohaku. We'll be needing him very soon as well."

With a nod, the younger incarnation was gone as well, leaving the two alone again as Kanota continued to try to calm the escalating hysterics of Kagome who could not seem to regain control having absorbed all this new information all at once. No matter what his attempts, she seemed oblivious to his presence completely, her emotions growing as dark and tremulous as the jewel itself. Finally, as a last resort, he gave in and once again sedated her, smoothing her hair as the sweet scent clouded her thoughts and the drowsiness began to overtake her.

"I would protect you, if you would let me," he told her gently as she finally began to relax and eventually drifted into calm unconsciousness.

He waited until he was sure she was fully asleep, then stepped away and for the first time headed out towards the exit and away from her for the first time since he had brought her here. The last shard would soon be arriving, and he had to prepare. Still, he couldn't help but glance back at her one last time before leaving, to be sure that her suffering was eased at least for the time being. But even in her sleep, a delicate stream of tears continued to fall silently, and even above her the stone face of the jewel's first priestess seemed to glisten in reflection of her child's grief.

………………………………………………………………………………………………


	14. Confrontation

It was still very foreign to her, her brother's newfound straightforward nature. In all her memories of him, he had been timid and shy, with no confidence in his own abilities, happy to remain in the background and offer support as needed. And now, after all the missed meetings and painfully brief encounters, it was as if a totally different Kohaku had come back to her, yet still showing the same sweetness she remembered glimmering in his eyes when he spoke to her. It dredged up mixed emotions, the most disturbing being that she actually liked the agressivness she was now seeing in him, a change that had come about due to Naraku's perverse corruption. Seeing it was another knife twisted in her back from Naraku, this gratitude he begrudgingly obliged of her.

No, Sango reminded herself. That wasn't all. There were her friends. There was Miroku. She owed all of them to that day as well. But in the case of her brother, it only mattered if they could defeat the one who started it all. And yet truthfully, deep down, she wasn't sure she could justify the rest of it if after all of their struggle, Kohaku really was fated to be just another casualty.

But life always managed to keep her hope alive. As if he too was being supernaturally drawn to the final decisive battle just like the rest of them, Sesshomaru had not been hard to track down. Riding Kilala high overhead, it had only been a matter of minutes before she and Kohaku had spotted the unusual grouping wandering slowly towards the remains of the Demon Slayer's village, most likely ultimately destined to where the pieces of Shikon were being congregated.

"Honestly," Sango thought, "for a demon who clames to have no love for his younger brother and no desire towards the power of the jewel shards, Sesshomaru certainly does tend to make a grand appearance at what ultimately became critical times in the grand scheme of things."

Unfortunately, in this case, it hadn't given them much time to think up a plan of attack. Even if Sesshomaru did tend to get involved at times, it didn't necessarily make him agreeable about it, and he certainly never had been one to take suggestions from mere humans, much less humans connected to the likes of Inuyasha or Naraku. Kohaku had been right about one thing, in order to accomplish the goal, their best hope was to try to sway the one human who did seem to have an uncanny influence on him, the little girl who currently was peacefully sleeping on the back of the giant two headed lizard. Still, she wondered, why on earth did Kohaku seem so sure that she would even be receptive to him at all?

"There they are," Kohaku affirmed as he nudged Kilala, signaling the large cat towards the ground.

"Wait!" Sango reacted frantically. "We need to think of a plan. We don't have any idea how to even approach him."

"There's no time for that anymore," Kohaku replied with a streak of pain in his tone. "The jewel shard is already reacting. Naraku is trying to call me back."

This silenced her instantly. If this was true, time wasn't a luxury anymore for any of them, drawing to the surface more questions and panics. Had Inuyasha and Kikiyo already reached where Kagome was? Even more, did this mean that they had already been defeated? And what about Miroku and his search for Koga? Was everything they had done and planned already completely futile?

No, she had to focus on the task in front of her. Because no matter what, this was a chance to save Kohaku. So as Kilala landed in front of the demon's group, she resorted back to her old demon slayer ways, she waited and assessed, watching for any sign of something she could use to help accomplish what she needed to do. She also sat a little stunned, as her brother calmly dismounted and approached the group's leader, shoulders back and head high, portraying as much determination and confidence as he could in order to be taken seriously.

Jaken's squawking could be heard clearly throughout the nights previous silence. "What do you want?! Naraku should know better by now that Lord Sesshomaru has no desire to align with him, even if the Shikon Jewel is nearly complete and-"

"Jaken, be silent," Sesshomaru's sharp command rang with more than a hint of irritation.

"But Lord Sesshomaru…" Jaken's voice trailed off as he too suddenly noticed the others accompanying the boy.

Sesshomaru, as usual, was quick to get to the point, his focus jumping back and forth between the siblings. "This does seem to be an unusual pairing, Naraku's errand boy and one of my brother's little accomplices. On whose behalf do you come, and what business do you have with me?"

"I come of my own accord," Kohaku replied with more hesitation than he probably wanted to portray, "to ask for your assistance against Naraku."

His response was curt. "I have no need or interest in assisting you, now move aside."

But Kohaku was not to be dismissed so easily. "Please, you have to know that the Shikon is nearly completed. If we don't do something now, Naraku will very soon obtain the power of the completed jewel."

Sesshomaru apparently wasn't swayed by this information, placing a hand on the hilt of Toukijin to display his impatience. "It matters not to me what power Naraku plans to obtain by completing the Shikon Jewel. I will not be so easily defeated by the likes of a half demon."

"You saw the power Naraku wielded at your father's gravesite," Sango called out, her own anxiety and impatience getting the best of her better judgment. "He was a match for you then, even without the completed jewel, and once its power is whole again, even that will intensify to who knows what degree."

Kohaku nodded. "If we allow Naraku to complete the Shikon, it likely will become impossible for any of us to stand against him, even united. You've seen his power as it stands now without the entire jewel in his control. Allowing him to have possession of it completed would be disastrous. Striking now in a way that Naraku hasn't anticipated is our only hope."

"How dare you suggest that Lord Sesshomaru is not capable of dealing with Naraku!" Jaken whaled at the boy, aiming his staff towards Kohaku. "Lord Sesshomaru is the most powerful-"

"Jaken…" Sesshomaru's irritation seemed to be steadily rising as he narrowed his focus. "My assistance to you would be a waste of my time. Naraku will simply strike you down. Your attack would be pointless."

"True, but we wouldn't be the only ones to fight," Sango replied, coming forward to stand beside her brother, watching closely in preparation to defend them both as the demon's hand tightened on Tokajin. And then something else caught her eye.

"You insinuate that my useless half brother has a chance against Naraku? You reside in a delusional hope. Get out of my sight before you waste any more of my time."

With a small wave, the demon motioned for his party to begin moving again, starting to walk away, but Kohaku wasn't done yet. "Then you know that Kagome has become the Shikon's new priestess, and Naraku already has her."

Sesshomaru stopped short. "Has she called Inuyasha as her Guardian?" he muttered softly, but with a notable hint of malace.

"It's uncertain. Naraku's timing was impeccable."

Sango stared at the both of them blankly, obviously confused and feeling somewhat useless in this battle of wills. How did Sesshomaru know all of this information? And how did Kohaku know to use that as part of his persuasion? But despite her mind's barrage of questions, her eyes continued to be drawn towards the sheath at the demon's side, still not quite sure if she was seeing correctly in the darkness.

"If she has called him, then with the tools your father left him he might just have the power to win," Kohaku continued to hurl his verbal attack, but the demon wouldn't budge.

"He had the opportunity fifty years ago when he was the true guardian and he couldn't conduct his basic duties," Sesshomaru sneered. "Even if the girl has foolishly called him I won't allow him to disgrace our father's name any further."

"Naraku obviously thinks of him as a threat now. That's why he went to such great lengths to keep them separated when the priestess's identity was discovered. Like it or not, you can't ignore the fact that he's already involved. Guardian or not, it doesn't make a difference. He's going to try and rescue her, and if you really have no faith in his abilities, then it's in your best interest to help me remove this jewel shard from my back before Naraku uses it to force me back and completes the Shikon."

Sesshomaru stared at the boy who now stood with shoulders squared and a determined look, obviously ready to stand his ground with a fierceness that came from a position of having no other hope of survival. The boy he could understand, but the girl, she mirrored the same desperate eyes as the boy, as if her life too hinged on the fate of his. Was she actually willingly prepared to die for the life of one of Naraku's tools? The thought was absurd. Still, he had to give the young humans credit for his gall, not only attempting to stand up to Naraku, but attempting to use him in his plans, but therein was their mistake. The firstborn son of the demon lord would never submit to the lowly pleas of mere humans.

And yet, the slight quivering at his hip was steadily growing stronger, and irritatingly harder to ignore.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kagura was used to the eerie and sinister old castles that Naraku often chose as his place of refuge, all rotting with the stench of death and malice reflecting the events that had occurred there in the distant past before they had been abandoned and labeled as cursed by the humans living in the area. Those places never had bothered her. Spirits and demons that usually resided in those places were mostly just bitter about something which had wronged them in the past, or they were just mischievous in a sinister fashion, out to cause misery for the simple pleasure of the results, whatever they might be. She had become accustomed to ignoring those types, or simply letting them know who the more powerful of them was. That, or simply just taking off to entertain her own fancy, as she felt was her own right as the wind.

This time was different. Naraku was keeping a tight grip on the comings and goings from the shrine, especially now that the enemy was beginning to arrive. And her current role definitely restricted her movements at this point in the game. Currently she was sitting holding her head, trying hard to block out the feeling of nausea that being here seemed to constantly bring over her. From the moment they had arrived here, something about the cave of the Shikon had affected her that way, a feeling that shot straight through to her core. It was as if the entire cave itself was alive, pulsating and oozing with an aura all its own, a lifeblood that only got stronger as the jewel became all the closer to becoming whole again, seeping its essence into everything around it.

And from what she could observe, it wasn't just her. It was making everyone crazy.

Kohaku had been missing for too long now, a fact that had obviously far beyond angered Naraku as was reflected through his still favorite weapon Hakudoushi who she had seen stomping towards the outside with his spear in hand and an irritated scowl on his face. Based on past observations, it had only furthered her own suspicions about the boy's loyalty, although she couldn't imagine how far he could get on his own, especially since as soon as the piece of shard was wrenched from his back, he was nothing more than a useless shell. If Kohaku had somehow found the power to rebel, it was far too late for him now.

And if that wasn't enough, moments later Naraku's other golden boy Kanota had stalked by, with a fierce and icy resolve exuding from his entire being, obviously consumed with one single purpose at that moment in time. But his expression wasn't the particular detail that had instantly struck her as strange, but rather the fact that before that point his entire existance had never seemed to have a willing purpose beyond Kagome. Come to think of it, since bringing her back from the future, she couldn't remember Kanota ever being further than across the room from their captive. With the enemy literally at their doorstep, what possibly could have driven him from her side now?

What on earth was going on?

Suddenly feeling strangely energized from her previous state, Kagura made her way down the darkened passageway, a smile creeping across her lips and a flurry of thoughts swimming through her head.

Maybe Naraku's perfect plans had a few unforeseen flaws after all.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It had stopped him dead in his tracks, and the dead lump in his stomach sat heavy as he stared at the entrance to the Shikon's sacred birthplace. Briefly in the back of his mind he remembered being there before, and Sango telling them of the history of the jewel and her village's long history of protecting this site. In retrospect, it was almost sickening how ingenious Naraku's foresight had been that long ago to completely disable the demon hunters for this very purpose when all the jewel shards had been gathered, a point he couldn't help but acknowledge respectfully, albeit begrudgingly.

But that had been a fleeting memory. The only focus of his mind at this moment was the fact that Kagome's link with him had been reduced to barely a breath, just enough to know she was still alive, but nothing more. The rage building within him was borderline animalistic, taking huge amounts of energy to maintain control of his mind. With everything Naraku had done to put this plan into action, the last thing he had better do was to rush in into his enemy's territory in a blind rage. But he no longer had the time needed to strategize. There was no telling what he was doing to her, and he had no way of knowing whether Sango or Miroku had succeeded in stopping the other three shards from ending up in the enemy's hands. Any last grasp of hope lay in the fact that the Shikon wouldn't be complete until the last piece was wrenched from him, and the fact that his will to fight had never been stronger.

He glanced toward Kikiyo who looked as if all of her energy was focused on remaining upright. Her breaths were growing more ragged and shallow, her complexion graying, and her eyes losing their life. Despite all the revalations of the past hours, it was still hard for him to see, inadvertently resulting in a conflict of his emotions. One lesson definitely hard learned was that the past was difficult at best to leave behind completely.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked with a soft but genuine concern.

"I have a duty that must be done," she replied with the same cold determination she had always shown, but for the first time Inuyasha found himself doubting her ability to carry out her goals, a doubt which certainly wasn't helping him figure out what to do next. His attention flittered back and forth between her and the black cave entrance.

"Do you have any recollection of where he might be keeping her?"

"This isn't the same location where I was being held. Naraku would never allow his enemy that much of an advantage."

She was right. With as much precise planning as he had made, there was no doubt that Naraku had calculated each of their potential moves and had planned for whatever strategy they might have come up with. Undoubtedly he already knew they were here and was simply awaiting their next move. It pretty much left them with no choice, since simply standing there was accomplishing nothing for either side, and he couldn't risk Naraku forcing his hand by doing anything more to Kagome.

A trace of sound perked his ears, and he pulled Kikiyo down and away behind him hidden from sight. "Someone's coming," he mumbled, tweaking his senses to get a better clue as to who it might be while one hand remained gripped to Tetsusaiga ready for attack. His body tensed, ready for attack, with a brush of relief to have a purpose again, but just as quickly relaxed as the faint but familiar scent of ritual incense and the soft chime of Miroku's staff informed him that the approachers were not his enemy. He quickly signaled them to their presence, instantly noting one very important absence. Any other day but today, he would have been ecstatic.

"Has Sango come back yet?" Miroku was quick to inquire, well aware of the implications of their failed mission.

"We just got here too," Inuyasha replied, eyeing the two wolf demons. They kept a distance from the rest of them, looking nervous and lost without their leader. "So Naraku for sure has Koga?"

"Ginta and Hatkagu were there when Hakudoushi came and took him," Miroku confirmed. "With Kohaku already under his control, our shard is the only one he has left to get."

"And that means we're all targets until he figures out which one of us has it."

"But if that's where Kagome is, won't we be essentially walking the jewel shard right into his hands by going in to rescue her?" Miroku pointed out.

"It's my responsibility to get her back," Inuyasha stated flatly. "The rest of you have no obligation to put yourself in danger."

"Maybe not," Miroku smiled, "except for that it's Kagome who's trapped in there, and I don't think there's anything you can say to us that'll keep us from helping rescue her any way that we can."

He was right, the group of nodding faces only further confirming the fact. Even Shippou who had been uncharacteristically silent upon his group's return looked back at him with a fierce determination in his eyes. He wasn't the only one who was ready to place his life on the line for her, just as she would fervently do the same for any of them. The wolf demons nodded just as eagerly, ready to help in whatever way they could for their "sister".

Kikiyo, who had been silent up until this point, was now leaning hard against a tree trunk just to stay upright, her breathing more and more shallow. She took quick advantage of the lull in conversation, knowing full well it would be the only time she would be heard. Drawing as much strength to her voice as she could manage, she held up the further darkening shard. "It's in our best interest to try to get the last untainted jewel shard to Kagome. She can use what power it has left as a resource to strengthen her."

"Can she still repurify it even with all the other shards tainted?" Miroku asked.

"It's possible, but it will take a great deal of energy to fight the jewel's desire for symbiosis." She let out a small cough. "But as the jewel's priestess, good or evil, she has a connection to it that allows her to draw out its power to her as needed."

"But if the jewel is evil," Shippou whimpered, "does that mean that Kagome will become evil too if she has to use evil energy?"

"No Shippou," Inuyasha said softly, his mind finally making the connection as to why the jewel had chosen her over everyone else to take Kikiyo's place. "Kagome wouldn't allow it. She'd never allow herself to be possessed by evil. She'll fight with everything she has before she'd allow that."

"He's right," Miroku nodded. "Even Naraku couldn't posess Kagome's soul when he tried to use her to find the last jewel shards."

"But that still doesn't mean we have time to just stand out here. Who knows what Naraku is doing to her while we just sit here."

Despite everyone's concurrence to the fact, there was only a painful silence in response to Inuyasha's passionate declaration until finally the monk firmly planted his staff on the ground and eyed each one in the group. "Look, no matter how long we sit here, we're not going to come up with any plan that's going to outwit what Naraku has already set into motion, so we need to work with the only advantage that we do have, and that is that we have the one and only thing that will complete things for him." All attention was on him as Miroku's focus began to wander off to the distance while his mind started pulling things together. "Really, the only thing we can do is to keep him guessing as to where the jewel shard is. It might be the only way to buy enough time to get to Kagome and get her free, and if any unforeseen problems arise, we can retreat and regroup with a better knowledge of what we're up against."

Heads were nodding slowly with a small relief of the semblance of a plan, except for Inuyasha who clenched a fist tightly. "There won't be any unforeseen problems. I won't leave that cave before I get Kagome away from that bastard."

But the words had no sooner left his lips when a small moan was heard and out of the corner of his eye a flash of red, white, and black slumped towards the ground. Instinct drew him straight to her, supporting her head against his shoulder as he watched her struggling to take even a small breath through lips that were nearly as pale white as her face. He didn't even try to mask his concern. "Kikiyo, are you alright? Don't try to move. I've got you."

When she did speak, her voice was barely above a whisper. "The shard's draw to evil is becoming too much for me to handle. I must get it to Kagome soon, before it's too late."

"There's no way I'm letting you go in there like this," he responded firmly, but even in her fragile state, her expression of determination spoke otherwise. He sat holding her, looking for any break in her composure, but inwardly he knew that her mind was set to what she had to do, just as his was. Their ties to the Shikon were unbreakable, even when it came down to life and death, but while he was completely prepared to lay down his life for Kagome and even protecting the Shikon, it was still difficult to accept the fact that he was going to have to lose Kikiyo again to do it.

It was Shippou's sudden gasp that broke the spell. Instantly his head snapped around as his free hand found its way to his sword. The tension already present within his body intensified the instant he saw him, the one who had kidnapped Kagome that night, staring directly at him as he held up Kikiyo, a look of pure hatred in his piercing blue eyes.

"You," he said in a low and threatening tone. "You have no right to even think of calling yourself her guardian."

The fervent loathing in his glare was matched if not outdone by Inuyasha, who suddenly in that moment was oblivious to the presence of any other person but Kanota floating in the air above him. "I don't know who think you are, but you should be enjoying your last breaths while you can."

No one moved, save for Shippou's uncontrolled quivering from behind Miroku's robes, but it was obvious who this stranger had come for, and that their comrade not only seemed to know this stranger from somewhere, but was more than eager to comply with exactly what he seemed to want. Still, as he observed the situation closely, waiting for someone to make a move, Miroku couldn't help but be struck by the numerous physical similarities between the two, only adding to his curiosity and confusion. "Who are you?" he asked, trying to provide a distraction. "What do you want with us?"

Inuyasha was instead the one to respond, never taking his eyes off of Kanota as he stood up, supporting Kikiyo to her feet as he rose. "Miroku, take Kikiyo and go on. I'll follow you after I take care of this bastard personally."

There was no room for questioning in his tone. The two wolf demons responded quickly, helping Kikiyo away from imminent danger and towards the mouth of the cave where Shippou was already waiting. Miroku followed tentatively, watching for any sign that the assailant might suddenly make a move on the jewel shard that the priestess still clutched tightly in her hand, but like Inuyasha, his eyes never left his proclaimed enemy. It was Inuyasha, however, who made the first move, drawing Tetsusaiga out and standing at the ready. Miroku blinked, staring at the sword which already shimmered with the deadly diamond-like projections of its Kongōsōha attack. Every single one of them was as black as the Shikon shard. Inuyasha didn't seem to notice.

He knew better than to stay there any longer. Miroku immediately turned and ran full speed towards the others and disappeared into Midoriko's cave.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

No one who was watching from the outside seemed to know what to make of this situation. Even Jaken who usually was ready to squawk his opinion about everything sat utterly silent, watching the standoff between the boy and the demon as neither one seemed willing to back down. The tension even seemed to be disturbing En and Un who snorted and stamped, but stopped just short of crying out. Sango, who was used to moments like these where it was necessary to wait and watch for the opportune moment to strike was also at a loss. Clearly this battle had become Kohaku's alone to win or lose. But the longer they stood facing off, the greater the sense of urgency she could somehow perceive radiating from her brother. The jewel was reacting, and it was obviously taking all of his reserves to fight against it. Yet strangely, almost as a reflection of Kohaku's increasing endeavor, the Tensaigua was growing more and more forceful in its own push for attention. If even she could see it, how on earth could Sesshomaru act as if he wasn't even carrying it?

This was getting them nowhere fast. Kohaku had done well up to this point, but time was no longer a luxury for anyone. Sango quickly weighed the odds in her head. She was no match for Sesshomaru. Even her best and most calculated distance attack would easily be struck down by the demon lord. An attack on Jaken would probably be a waste of time based on past experience, since Sesshomaru never really seemed to care what happened to his irritating little devotee. Really, the only one who could probably get a reaction out of Sesshomaru was Rin, but attacking an innocent sleeping girl was completely out of the question, and any movement from either of them towards her would probably be registered as a threat by the rest of the party and responded to in kind, which was exactly what they didn't want. The chances of either of them getting through the others to her to wake her up were fairly slim, and yet at this point Rin was their best chance for success. And despite all their activity, the little girl seemed content to dream away on the back of the giant lizard.

As it turned out, plans were made for her. When something did finally happen, it was so quiet that Sango almost missed it. The miniature form of Kilala darted off in the tall grass, using the wind to conceal her movements from the enemy as she made her way towards them. Sango almost cried out after her but held silent, afraid that any disruption might draw attention to the tiny cat demon, since it was quickly obvious that she was the only one who had noticed the movement. As if she didn't have enough to spend this time fretting over, this added another element to send her thoughts on insanity. What on earth could have caused Kilala to take off like that? She had never known her to be impulsive like that, and the cat demon was not one to run from battle, much less one that hadn't even begun.

But Kilala thankfully wasted no time in executing her plans. Just as quickly as she had disappeared, she darted out from the brush, running full speed towards the two headed lizard in full size form. With precision and grace she skillfully weaved between the legs of the beast, taking him and everyone else by surprise. Wide eyed, the creature stamped, shaken by the sudden interruption, and bucked upwards, forgetting momentarily about the cargo on his back. For Sango, the whole scene almost seemed to play out in slow motion while she herself stood frozen, unable to make her body respond, or even make a sound other than the sharp intake of a breath. Kohaku too had donned a wide-eyed horrified look as he realized what was happening, but it disappeared almost as soon as it surfaced as Sesshomaru effortlessly placed himself directly beneath Rin's trajectory with arms outstretched to catch her before she even woke up to know what had just happened.

Although, however it had finally come about, she was finally awake, rubbing her eyes with a yawn as if things like this happened every day. And Kilala, Sango noticed, had already made herself scarce.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she cooed, still only half conscious. "Is it morning already? Tell Jaken to get us some food. I'm hungry."

Sesshomaru didn't respond, but Jaken certainly did. "What do you mean 'get you some food'?! I have to be ready to fight for Lord Sesshomaru! I can't be deserting my post just to get you some food!"

The siblings eyed each other curiously, but Rin had already long forgotten her request as she noticed that their usual group wasn't quite alone. "Master Kohaku! It's good to see you again," she smiled. "And you're Miss Kagome's friend, aren't you." She flashed them a sweet smile, then yawned and stretched enthusiastically, contorting her body as she pleased with complete unwavering faith in her position, but her sleepy face soon contorted to a curious look. "Lord Sesshomaru, your sword is shaking."

His expression didn't even as much as waver as Sesshomaru continued to fix his gaze on Kohaku. "Rin, do you know this boy?"

The now fully awake Rin was obviously developing into a playful mood as she broke out into a wide grin. "When that mean feather lady took me, Kohaku was nice to me and protected me when I was scared."

This was also news to Sango. As the events of that incident began to slip back into her mind, the only that she seemed to be able to remember was how at that time she had once again run into her brother only to watch him soullessly slip away from her yet again at Naraku's beacon after almost killing Kagome. How she had almost killed him and herself in order to end their torment if it hadn't been for Inuyasha's intervention. Had he really been fighting for control of himself from all the way back then? He had almost remembered her even when she had completely given up all hope?

Suddenly a wrenching groan tore from Kohaku as he fell to his knees clutching his chest. Immediately refocused, Sango reacted instantly, running towards her brother's side, her stomach clenched in a nauseated knot as she couldn't seem to move any faster than slow motion. It didn't matter. Before she had even bridged half the gap between them a force threw her back, knocking her breathless and dizzy. Only with the most extreme effort did she manage to lift her head and shoulders off the ground, first locating Kohaku who was now completely curled on the ground with his hands gripping the back of his neck. From what she could tell, he was simply trying to endure.

And then she saw him.

"Well, that didn't take long," she heard him say, his tone snide with superiority. "I figured I would have to actually put some effort into looking for you, and instead I find you practically right outside. Really, you should just come when you're called and save me the hassle of having to come out and fetch you."

He didn't need to be riding the demon horse to be menacing. Hakudoushi stood leaning against a nearby tree, eyes closed, but knowingly aware of the fact that everyone with the exception of his quota was completely focused on him. It seemed to please him immensely.

Sesshomaru was curt and to the point. "What business do you think you have here?"

The demon spawn turned his head, eyeing Sesshomaru curiously. "So the older brother has come out to play too, has he? I don't really think you have any business being here, so out of the kindness of my heart, I'll let you move along." In an obviously mocking tone, he bent over in a bow, sweeping his hand out in front of him to point the way on.

The only movement Sesshomaru made was to put Rin down on the ground, where she instantly ran to Ein and Un's back for protection. "I believe the boy and I were talking."

Naraku's spawn frowned, obviously unamused. "And just what difference does that make?"

"It means you should allow us to finish our business in peace, or be prepared to suffer the consequences."

At first she thought she might not be comprehending what was going on correctly, but as the two demons suddenly squared off against each other, the tension growing more palpable by the moment, reality set in. Whatever holdups Sesshomaru had against helping Inuyasha were either long forgotten or no longer applied as he set his focus completely on Hakudoushi with an intensity that only came with battle. It was fast becoming clear what was about to happen here, especially as Sango suddenly noticed that the Tenseigua was no longer the sword that was humming with life at Sesshomaru's side.

_Oh my god, there's fighting coming! Bloody senseless violence...and death to someone I hate. Yeah, you know who you are. _


End file.
